AS Dyfed-Powys Police supports an international online safety day, a 19-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of sexual communication with a child.
The force is supporting Safer Internet Day today, Tuesday (Feb 6) offering advice to parents on how their children can use the internet and social media safely.
This morning, a 19-year-old was arrested in Llanelli after the Police Online Investigation Team (POLIT) and Integrated Offender Management (IOM) team carried out a joint visit at his home.
While at the address, digital forensic investigators examined computer tablets and a Playstation, and seized two mobile phones. The man was arrested on suspicion of sexual communication with a child, and is currently in custody.
Safer Internet Day is an annual event which is marked by organisations, schools and companies globally. As part of the day, the Digital Communications and Cyber Crime Unit (DCCU) has taken over the force Twitter account, giving an insight into how the department investigates crimes committed online.
The unit is currently examining five hard drives and seven mobile phones in separate investigations, with an estimated total of three million images between them. Each one will be looked at by a digital forensic examiner.
To give an idea of the scale of work conducted by the team, a one terabyte hard drive could contain 240.8 million pages of data. If you printed that data out on standard paper and stacked it vertically, it would be 24.58km tall – or the height of 2.8 Everests. The DCCU examines roughly 160 terabytes of data per year. If all that data was printed and piled it up, it would only take until the middle of February to reach the International Space Station.
The force has also been sharing tips and advice on using technology safely and responsibly. To view this advice, visit the Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/DPPolice) or Twitter account @DyfedPowys.
A simple and effective way to get involved with your children and their lives online is through discussion. This can be difficult, but here are some conversation starter ideas:
- Ask your children to tell you about the sites they like to visit, and what they enjoy doing online.
- Ask them how they stay safe online. What tips do they have for you, and where did they learn them? What is ok and not ok to share?
- Ask them if they know where to go for help, where to find safety advice, privacy settings, and how to report or block people on the channels they use.
- Encourage them to help. Perhaps they could show you how to do something better online, or they might have a friend who would benefit from their help and support.
