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The Victoria Police Department Special Victims Unit (SVU) is warning parents to speak to their children about staying safe online after the attempted luring of a 13-year-old girl.
According to police, 28-year-old Victoria resident Aaron Craig is facing 13 charges after attempting to lure underage girls online. So far, police have confirmed five victims ranging in age from 12 to 17 years of age, but add that none were physically harmed.
SVU detectives are advising parents to talk to their kids about being cautious online, particularly when it comes to geolocation settings for online photos, mapping features, and while on social media sites. Teens and kids are naturally curious and when a stranger contacts and compliments them on their profile information, they may feel flattered and intrigued. This is a classic grooming technique and should set off some warning bells.
“When you post online, it’s important to know who can see information about you,” SVU Det. Sgt. Kristi Ross said. “That doesn’t just include what you say or photos you share. You need to check the location settings on your devices to ensure you know when and where you’re posting your geolocation information. The best thing to do is to turn it off by default. ”
Three of the charges Craig is facing result from a breach of conditions which prohibit him from contacting young girls online. SVU detectives are also investigating the possibility that more victims have yet to come forward.
“There may be others out there who we have yet to hear from,” Det. Sgt. Ross said. “Parents would be well served to talk with their kids about what they’re doing online. It’s important to check in with your children often. If you discover that someone has been inappropriately contacting your kids online, consider reporting to your local police or through cybertip.ca. ”
Officers point to cybertip.ca as a strong resource for parents to access in helping inform their children about how to stay safe online.
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