July 1, 2005
Cellphone gifts lure children for sex
Netsafe, a New Zealand child internet safety group is warning parents that sexual predators may send their children pre-paid cellphones to develop a relationship, reports The New Zealand Herald.
"It's common to send a pre-paid mobile phone to the child. Some offenders even provide bank accounts for the children to top up their mobile phones," said Netsafe therapist Nathan Gaunt.
In New Zealand, the cellphones are being used so far only to extend the contact already made through the internet, often to set up face-to-face meetings.
"The worry is that with cameras and video equipment on telephones, you could ask them to video themselves or a friend or send photos back," added Gaunt.
A Netsafe survey this year of a middle-income high school found 73 per cent of the students had cellphones and 23 per cent had received an "offensive, pornographic, abusive or threatening text or picture" on their phones.
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