The Australian Federal Police (AFP) on Wednesday urged parents and carers in the country to pay more attention to their children’s online activity during the holiday season.

The police said that this was necessary following reports of online child sexual exploitation which had spiked during the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the police, child sex offenders are particularly active during the pandemic and school holidays, targeting children spending increasing amount of time online.

AFP data showed that 187 people were charged with 1,966 alleged child abuse-related offences this year, it said.

With more technology gifts for children equipped with online functions, children can communicate with strangers, without the knowledge of parents, which could expose them to online criminals preying on children.

The AFP-led Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE) said it was receiving reports of children interacting with offenders online while a parent or carer is nearby, or in the same room.

“We will never give up our fight to keep children safe and we are appealing for help from parents and carers.

”We know this is a busy time of year, but please talk to your children about who they interact with online and what platforms, apps and games they are using.

“Supervision is not only critical to prevent an incident occurring, but can also help adults to quickly take action if something goes wrong.

“If your child is or has been a victim, reassure them that it’s not their fault and that there is help available.

“Children and young people are never to blame for being a victim of online child sexual exploitation,” Commander ACCCE and Child Protection, Hilda Sirec said.

The AFP, therefore, said it was especially important for children’s guardians to educate themselves on the technologies their children are using so they can better supervise their children’s online activity.

NAN