Four-year-olds taught how to spot a pervert
CHILDREN as young as four are being taught how to spot a paedophile following a spike in online sexual exploitation.
Youngsters, along with parents and teachers, are being urged to watch a cartoon series which educates children about the risks of the online world.
Called Jessie & Friends, the three animated short films are the brainchild of the National Crime Agency (NCA) which received a record 113,948 referrals relating to online child sexual abuse material last year. The cartoons, launched online today, are designed to appeal to children aged four to seven and do not depict any scenarios involving sexual offenders but highlight unhealthy behaviour.
NCA director Rob Jones said: “While we are pursuing offenders we are using the insight we gain from their behaviour to produce educational products we can use across the system, to create resilience in children.
“We need parents, carers and teachers to discuss this sensitive issue in a positive way, and Jessie & Friends will help them to do this.”
Mr Jones also called on tech giants to “design out” the prevalence of unsavoury online material targeting children.
“As the threat continues to rise it is vital to focus on preventing offending,” he added.
Figures show that more than 50 per cent of three to four-year-olds and 80 per cent of seven-year-olds go online for an average of at least nine hours each week.