Young children abused by live-video predators

THE rise of live streaming services is contributing to children as young as eight being sexually exploited online, a charity has warned.

Barnado’s said youngsters had been encouraged to engage in sexual activity online by predators using the comments function. The charity said its child sexual exploitation services had supported 19 children as young as eight in a year.

In previous years, the youngest children needing help were aged 10.

Barnardo’s chief executive Javed Khan said: “Without the right security settings, children broadcasting live video of themselves over the internet could be targeted by abusers in their bedrooms. It’s vital that parents get to know and understand the technology their children are using and make sure they have appropriate security settings in place.”

The charity highlighted the popularity of streaming service Live.ly and video-sharing app TikTok.

The warning came after Digital Secretary Jeremy Wright said he would write to dating apps Tinder and Grindr over measures to keep children safe.