Following the arrest of a Midrand man (39) for the possession and distribution of child pornography, the South African Police Service’s (SAPS) family violence, child protection and sexual offences unit in Gauteng has issued precautionary measures to protect children from being used for sexual acts. The suspect has already appeared in the Alexandra Magistrate’s Court and is out on R5 000 bail. The case has been postponed to 22 April 2015.
To protect children, the SAPS urged parents to note the following safety tips:
• Talk to your children about the dangers of ‘sexting’. Educate them on the dangers of taking or sending their own pictures in which they are naked, or those of someone else, to anyone.
• Advise them never to take pictures of themselves they wouldn’t want their friends, teachers, families or loved ones to see.
• Your children should never send pictures of other people to anyone without their consent.
• Always remind them that once they click the ‘send’ button, they no longer have any control over the image regarding who can look at it and what is done with it.
• If someone pressurises them for a sexual picture, they should inform a trusted adult immediately.
“Children are also advised to know the identities of the people they are talking to on social sites like Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. Parents should keep a close eye on who their children are chatting to on these sites, what they are chatting about and the pictures they are sharing,” Makgale said.
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