Parents warning after Clare teenager targeted by online blackmailer

A CLARE teenage boy was blackmailed for money after he sent explicit images of himself to another person through social media. Gardaí in Clare are now urging parents to become better aware of their children’s online activity in light of the recent incident.
Clare Crime Prevention Officer Sergeant Triona Brooks has described the matter as “very upsetting and traumatic for the parent and teenager”.
A report was made to gardaí by the teenager’s mother over the Christmas period. According to Sergeant Brooks the teenage boy believed he was in contact with a woman through Facebook and he sent the explicit pictures of himself to that person.
Shortly after this a demand was made for a substantial amount of money, or else the pictures would be shared.
“No money was given over and the link was shared with some of his friends but
fortunately the link could not be opened,” she outlined.
Sergeant Brooks has encouraged parents to speak to their children about online safety. “Children are spending a lot more time on-line at the moment. It’s no harm to have a conversation with your child about the importance of their safety when online. Children need to understand that they must not share any personal information online. It is vital that parents have that all important conversation with their children. If your child spends time online you should understand the risks that could put them in danger online.”
She said examples of these include: loss of privacy through sharing information in public that should be kept private; inappropriate content through adult material, violence, dangerous dares or challenges; cyberbulling, bullying in the form of abusive and threatening texts or emails, messages on social media and chat rooms or the posting of photos and; online grooming where individuals target children through sexual coercion or extortion.
“The most important thing is to communicate with your children about what they are doing online. Familiarise yourself with the apps and websites they are using. Learning about the internet is the most effective way for you to protect your child from online dangers.
“Be involved in your child’s online life, set rules and limits for internet use and keep the lines of communication open with your child and make sure your child can come to you if anything happens online that upsets, worries or scares them.”