Aaron Bunch Journalist with Australian Associated Press | Collection of published work | + 61 484 008 119 | abunch@aap.com.au
Child sex offenders target parents via dating apps
Paedophiles are using social media and dating apps to offer parents money for exploitation and abuse material of their children.
February 29, 2024
Australian dating app and social media users are being targeted by child sex offenders hungry for exploitation and abuse material.
Vulnerable users are being pressured for sexual images of their children, with payment offers for photos, videos or live streams, the Australian Institute of Criminology says.
“Offenders use these sites to target vulnerable groups or those with access to children,” Deputy Director Rick Brown said.
“This includes parents, particularly women, those who are younger, or are Indigenous or have a health condition or disability.”
An institute survey of almost 10,000 dating app and website users found 12 per cent of respondents had been targeted.
Most requests were for sexual exploitation material related to the user’s own children rather than other children they had access to, such as young friends or family members.
More than 69 per cent of the users approached by child sex offenders reported being asked questions of a sexual nature about their children.
About half received demands for sexual images of their children or children they had access to, with about 63 per cent being offered payments.
“Users should be discouraged from sharing images of, or information about, children, and dating service providers should prevent users from linking their dating profiles and social media accounts,” Dr Brown said.