Police to hold eMeeting following sentencing of Craig McGuire
Police are hosting an online security eMeeting following the sentencing of a man who created a false online profile in order to engage with young girls over the internet.
The eMeeting (www.leics.police.uk/webchat) will be held on Monday October 8, focusing on online security and the dangers that come with talking to someone online who you don’t already know.
Craig McGuire, 37, from The Coppice in Narborough, pleaded guilty to grooming, possession of indecent images of children and voyeurism offences in court and was sentenced to six years in prison today (Monday September 24).
Following a police investigation it was uncovered that McGuire had contact details for approximately 200 young girls and had online relationships with four of them, all of which believed he was a 15-year-old boy.
Two police officers, Detective Sergeants Robbie Davies and Ed Jones, who investigate and deal with internet crimes, will host the eMeeting and will be available to answer your questions about social networking, online harassment and online security with a particular focus on online child exploitation.
The eMeeting will start at 6.30pm and will run for one hour.
Detective Sergeant Ed Jones said: “This eMeeting is for parents and children alike as it’s so important that there is an understanding and openness between the two around internet communications.
“It’s extremely important that parents take an active interest in what and who their children are corresponding with online and also to educate them about the dangers of speaking to people they do not know.
“There is no way of knowing 100 per cent that the person you are talking to is who they say they are, and that is extremely important to remember. Hopefully anyone who is unsure about online communications, and other issues of online security, will join in and find our advice really useful.”
Anyone wishing to take part in the eMeeting will be able log-on, without giving a name or any contact details, and ask questions about online security and what support networks there are available.
As the web chat is one hour long and no personal details are given it does not have the capacity to deal with crime reports. What it can do is direct you through to the right people to help you with your issues.
Visit www.leics.police.uk/webchat for more information and to register for a reminder of the event. To join in on Twitter please use the hash tag #leicswebchat.
If you think you have been a victim of an online crime or think your child has been the victim of online exploitation, please contact the following numbers for information and support.
Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre
Telephone: 0870 000 3344
Email: enquiries@ceop.gsi.gov.uk
Website: http://www.ceop.police.uk
Think you know?
Childline
Telephone: 0800 1111
Get Safe Online
Website: http://www.getsafeonline.org/
Internet watch foundation
Website: http://www.iwf.org.uk/
