Protect children from the online sexual predators
Top officer claims kids are being let down by Government and society
A TOP garda has urged the Government to keep kids safe from sexual predators online by policing the net like the streets.
Assistant Commissioner Pat Leahy slammed politicians for “not serving our children well” with unregulated access to social media websites where they could become victims of online paedophiles.
His comments came after Dublin predator Matthew Horan was jailed for seven-and-a-half years for sexually exploiting 15 girls.
The 26-year-old, from St John’s Crescent, Clondalkin, West Dublin, also had thousands of graphic child abuse imagery and videos and coerced one young victim into sending explicit photographs even after she said she would kill herself.
Speaking to the Sunday Independent, Mr Leahy warned selfregulation would not work when it came to child safety online.
He said the Horan case highlighted “the need to police the internet the same way we police the streets”.
He added: “In policing, in parenting and in general society, I don’t think we have served our children well by allowing them to have such uncontrolled access so young.”
Gardai are monitoring 1,610 registered sex offenders, a number that has shot up by 200 in three years.
The Assistant Commissioner warned social media websites were making children vulnerable to paedophiles like never before as they have given predators the opportunity to stalk young victims without authorities being aware. Meanwhile, a top cybercrime advisor to EU law enforcement agency Europol, revealed she believes smartphones should be banned for all primary school children and young teenagers should be advised against using them.
UCD Professor Mary Aiken also described the risk social media companies could now run with parents of abused children taking legal action against them.
She also questioned if the firms had made financial provisions for such lawsuits.
Prof Aiken and fellow cybercrime expert Professor Barry O’sullivan issued a joint statement outlining the need for debate around the digital age of consent, which is due to be set at 13 years in May.
She said the Government’s process of making digital age of consent into law has been “inadequate”. Fianna Fail Councillor Trevor Gilligan called for the Government to create a minister to deal with cybercrime and protecting kids online. Responding to the Horan case, he said: “I have a lot of friends in St John’s Estate.
“The community is close knit, no one ever suspected such a horrendous act could happen on their doorsteps.”