聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 The Saskatchewan Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) Unit presented in Carlyle at the Elementary School on Wednesday, Dec. 6, to conduct an informational session for parents and guardians regarding risks online.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The Unit includes a Sr. Crown Prosecutor dedicated to their efforts 鈥� Loreley Berra, and includes funding through the RCMP, Prince Albert Police Services, Regina Police Services, and Saskatoon Police Services.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Conducting the presentation was Cpl. Cory Patterson with the RCMP and Det. Cst. Peter Froh with Regina Police Services.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚n this day and age we are so reliant on technology and if your youth has unfettered access to the internet it does come with some bad,鈥� Cpl. Patterson explained.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The Sask ICE Unit was created in 2009, which dedicates a total of eight investigators to the entire province of 1.56 million people. It was created to investigate child pornography, child exploitation, and luring over the internet, and practicing both Proactive and Reactive investigations.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚t鈥檚 so easy today to take a picture and share it,鈥� Patterson stated, then defining the definition of child pornography under the Canadian Criminal Code Sec 163.1 (1): 鈥渁 photographic, film, video, or other visual representation, whether or not it was made by electronic or mechanical means, (i) shows a person who is or is depicted as being under the age of 18 years and is engaged in or depicted as engaged in explicit sexual activity, or (ii) the dominant characteristic of which is the depiction, for sexual purpose, of a sexual organ or the anal region of a person under the age of 18 years;鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The Canadian Criminal Code goes on to include any written material or audio material of this kind as well.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Thus, if a youth takes a photo and shares it this is seen as three offences: making, distributing, and possessing child pornography.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淐an we charge kids for this? Yes. Do we want to? No. But, we need kids to understand that this is black and white under the Criminal Code,鈥� Patterson stated.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭hey also have to understand that once something is sent out, it鈥檚 never really gone. Whether posted to the internet or sent through SnapChat 鈥� there鈥檚 a nifty feature on phones to take a picture of your screen. So, whatever your sending can鈥檛 be taken back. Once you send a picture you lose control of it. You can do your best to get it back, but there鈥檚 always a copy somewhere.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Children are willingly participating in online conversations as a way to explore their sexuality, romantic relationships, and as attention seeking behaviour.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭he problem is that on the internet people can be anybody and once they have an image they will say 鈥楴ow I鈥檝e got you,鈥� and request to be sent more photos or videos, or else they鈥檒l post what you sent them,鈥� Patterson stated. 鈥淩esearch is also showing that boys aged 14-18 are starting to show predatory behaviour in their interactions on the internet like that and if they鈥檙e never stopped and told that鈥檚 wrong, they will continue to do it.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淜ids are naturally trusting and predators are master manipulators 鈥� it can literally be anyone on the other end. You can鈥檛 trust anybody online.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Patterson and Froh then showed a video of a photo being shared on the internet in 90 seconds, the same amount of time it takes for a Polaroid photo (an 鈥渋nstant鈥� photo) to develop. During the time it took for the Polaroid to develop, the photo online had reached 21 different countries.
What can parents do?
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Take note of your child鈥檚 behaviour, interests, and friends.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淎lso lead by example,鈥� Patterson said. 鈥淚 have a rule that they can look at my phone anytime and I can look at theirs. They are also not allowed to have their phones in the bathroom or bedroom and must be on the charging station at 9 p.m. Also, everyday at supper we ask the kids to tell us one good thing they鈥檝e done today. Never be satisfied with 鈥榥othing鈥� or 鈥榚verything鈥檚 fine.鈥欌��
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淗ave a conversation with them. Explain the risks and tell them what鈥檚 going on out there; be supportive and understanding.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Patterson and Froh also added that DNA and fingerprints are unique to a person. Online, every single electronic file created has a digital fingerprint.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭his allows investigators to track a file with a 鈥榟ash value,鈥欌�� Froh explained. 鈥淲hile file sharing that hash value guarantees that file is the file they are downloading 鈥� whether it鈥檚 music, movies, or child pornography. More people are being charged and convicted for child pornography than drugs.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭hey can be anyone. There is no way to stereotype or pick them out of a crowd.鈥�
