SHAH ALAM: In just an hour, a child can fall prey to sexual predators lurking online, warns Bukit Aman CID Sexual, Women and Children Crime Investigation Division (D11).
Its principal assistant director Senior Asst Comm Siti Kamsiah Hassan said predators used social media, which is popular among children, to hunt for victims.
This is why it is important for parents to closely monitor their children’s time on the Internet as prevention starts at home, she said.
“Crimes now start from the comfort of your own home,” Siti Kamsiah told reporters after attending the Selangor Police Townhall Discussion.
Selangor police chief Comm Datuk Hussein Omar Khan and Deputy Comm Datuk S. Sasikala Devi also attended the event.
“We cannot run away from the fact that educating children begins at home and parents must teach children about self control and how to spot the dangers around them.”
When not monitored, predators could exploit children’s trust and curiosity, easily leading them into dangerous situations, she said.
SAC Siti Kamsiah said the widespread use of mobile devices to access the Internet has made it easier for predators to get to children.
“They chat online and plan outings. They could even use ehailing to meet up,” she said, adding that victims could also share their location with these predators.
Other compounding factors SAC Siti Kamsiah said were the lack of education and financial hardships faced by the families of these victims.
“Based on our statistics, there are cases that occur among the B40 group. When we look at it as a whole, unstable financial situations, unemployment, low education and single parent households are among the factors that contribute to the problem.”
