‘Anyone can be a groomer’ says Garda HQ
Gardaí have warned parents of the dangers of grooming after they carried out a series of searches to help identify suspects in possession of child pornography.
Between 28 November-1 December, 10 searches were conducted at addresses in Cork, Dublin, Limerick, Galway, Louth and Wicklow by An Garda Síochana’s Online Child Exploitation Unit (OnCE). The searches were carried out as part of Operation KETCH, an intelligence-led operation targeting suspected possessors and distributors of online child sexual exploitation material.
The searches resulted in various items of digital material being seized for forensic examination. To date, during 2022, the OnCE Unit has referred in excess of 700 investigation files to local Divisional Protection Service units for investigation.
Detective Superintendent Lackey, Garda National Protective Service Bureau said: “Person accessing, viewing and distributing child sexual abuse material need to recognise that this is not a victimless crime.”
In a message to parents, gardaí outlined the different forms of grooming and offered advice on how to spot the signs of the crime. Gardaí defined grooming as when someone builds a relationship, trust and emotional connection with a child or young person so they can manipulate, exploit and abuse them.
The statement warns that “anyone can be a groomer” no matter their age, gender or race, and the crime can take place over a short or long period of time from weeks to years.
It advises that groomers may build a relationship with the young person's family or friends to make them seem trustworthy.
The relationship a groomer builds with a young person can take a number of different forms according to gardaí, such as romantic relationships, as a mentor, or as an authority figure. Another way gardaí say a groomer can build a relationship with a young person is by using the same sites, games and apps as the victim, spending time learning about their interests through social media networks, text messages and messaging apps, like WhatsApp, email, voice and video chats in forums, and games. Some signs to look out for are high levels of secrecy regarding online activity, unexplained money or new things like clothes and mobile phones, and sexualised behaviour, language or an understanding of sex that's not appropriate for the young person’s age.