By Alex McCuaig

Internet safety

Child exploitation on the rise

May 22, 2020 | 4:50 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – The arrest of four men in Medicine Hat on child exploration charges on Thursday has the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Team (ALERT) warning of an increase in such activities on the internet linked to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Medicine Hat Police Service Sgt. Kirt Murray, who is attached to ALERT’s Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) unit, says the increase of children on the Internet due to the restrictions in place due to the pandemic can see simple interactions on online gaming platforms escalate.

“(It) could lead to moving to a different platform where now you have an offender one-on-one with a child and putting them in compromising positions where they are requesting images,” said Murray. “One image leads to two images and then a child gets put in the position where they don’t want any of their family or friends to know they’ve already sent this image.”

Murray says its key parents learn about the different pitfalls the Internet can have for kids and for there to be discussions about the dangers of sharing personal information.

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“Bottom line is, encourage your kids to come to you if they encounter a problem,” said Murray.