Shropshire Star

Police in 'sexting' warning at schools

New lessons warning children of the dangers of "sexting" have been introduced to secondary schools in Mid Wales, while police in West Mercia Police are also urging children to be aware of the dangers.

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Dyfed-Powys Police's school community officers will be delivering lessons on the dangers of sexting, which involves sending intimate pictures via mobile phone or the internet.

And DI Nigel Jones, of Warwickshire Police and West Mercia Police, said: "Protecting children from harm is a key priority for the police and we would like victims of all ages to have the confidence to come forward and report crimes.

"Sexting is not harmless and it is illegal.

"Images may be shared further, which is beyond the young person's control and can leave them vulnerable to blackmail, bullying and harm after sharing an image."We have specially trained officers who can deal sensitively with children that are suffering from the consequences of sexting, these officers work closely with Children's Services to ensure we arrive at the right outcome for both the victim and the offender.

"Working in partnership with organisations such as the NSPCC helps to ensure that police are committed to listening to the 'voice of the child'. I encourage people who are concerned to report the matter to Warwickshire Police and West Mercia Police on 101, or to contact CEOP, Childline or the NSPCC."

It is against the law for anyone under-18 to take indecent images of themselves or others and it is against the law to share images of under-18s regardless of your age.

Bethan James, Dyfed Powys Police school liaison co-ordinator, said: "Sexting is happening in Dyfed-Powys, just as it is anywhere else in the UK.

"Incidents of sexting reported to Dyfed-Powys Police are recorded as a crime and investigated, so young people do run the risk of getting a criminal record, which could seriously impact on their future lives in terms of career, travel and more.

"The purpose of running specific sessions on what young people share online is all about keeping them safe, protecting them from potential exploitation and giving them the knowledge and confidence to say 'no' to taking, sending or sharing any indecent messages, photos or videos online."

Lessons are taking place throughout the week to launch the new topics. They have been added to the existing Internet Safety programme, which includes lessons on cyber bullying, grooming and mobile phone safety.

The lessons form part of a programme of activity for the Cyber Crime Week of Action, which Dyfed Powys Police is participating in.

In recent years, a growing number of criminals have turned to using the internet and computers to disrupt IT infrastructure, steal or compromise the integrity of private data, commit fraud, steal people's identities or to abuse vulnerable people.

This week, Dyfed-Powys Police's specialist Digital and Cyber Crime Unit (DCCU) and key partner Get Safe Online, are raising awareness of cyber-crime and working to ensure people have the knowledge and confidence to protect themselves from cyber-crime within the force area.

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