Time for team to tackle web sex predators

WE are frequently reading about young people in Dundee being targeted by online predators.

In Monday’s Tele, there were two separate stories about the actions of paedophiles who tried to engage in sexual activity with children using the internet and mobile phones.

It’s important that these issues are highlighted, and well done to the parents who are being vigilant about what their kids are doing.

But the more we hear of these cases, the more I believe those at government level need to step in and do something about it.

I’m sure there is already activity ongoing to try to tackle the grooming and exploitation of young people online, but it’s still far too easy for sex offenders to access children.

There are so many apps they can use, and so many websites available, that keeping track of them all requires a lot of hard work and clever thinking.

Politicians, both at Westminster and at Holyrood, should be looking to set up a special team tasked with coming up with ways of protecting young people against this sort of behaviour. The advice of police and other protection agencies would be key to this, as would input from the big internet operators and app developers.

Perhaps that might even lead to new legislation which would go some way towards giving young people a safeguard against those who simply want to abuse and harm them.

I’m not suggesting solving this problem is as easy as holding a few meetings – but we must act now to ensure this doesn’t get out of hand.

Some might say it is already out of control, given the sheer volume of cases being reported every day.

And those are just the ones that come into the public domain.

There are no doubt countless more that never reach the police, the courts or the media.

Concerned.