New AFP taskforce to target men ‘hunting’ young girls for violent acts | ABC NEWS
The Australian Federal Police have been working with Microsoft to develop AI tools to interpret Gen Z and Alpha slang to quickly identify children at risk of sadistic online exploitation.
New AFP Commissioner Krissy Barrett used her first speech at the National Press Club on Wednesday to announce the creation of Taskforce Pompilid, which will use the technology amongst a raft of measures to crack down on decentralised online crime networks.
The AFP is warning that young girls are being “hunted, stalked and drawn-in” by men using online networks to coerce them into carrying out serious acts of violence on themselves, their siblings or pets, in a “twisted type of gamification”.
The Commissioner also offered practical steps to keep children out of harm’s way.
“Let kids know they have the right to feel safe online and, if something feels uncomfortable, they can leave a chat at any time and tell a safe adult.
You can encourage safe conversations by talking regularly about online activities and apps, encouraging critical thinking, and reassuring kids that they won’t be punished for coming forward if they think they have done something wrong.
Also, you can look out for warning signs that include self-harm, changes in eating or sleeping habits, sudden withdrawal from friends, families or activities, use of extreme behaviour, extreme language or symbols, and rejection of previously held morals.
Importantly, there are really practical and easy resources available, including how to make a report about child exploitation, at the AFP-led Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation website. That’s www.acce.gov.au”. she said.
ABC NEWS provides around the clock coverage of news events as they break in Australia and abroad. It’s news when you want it, from Australia’s most trusted news organisation.
For more from ABC NEWS, click here: https://ab.co/2kxYCZY
Watch more ABC NEWS content ad-free on ABC iview: https://ab.co/2OB7Mk1
Go deeper on our ABC NEWS In-depth channel: https://ab.co/2lNeBn2
Like ABC NEWS on Facebook: http://facebook.com/abcnews.au
Follow ABC NEWS on Instagram: http://instagram.com/abcnews_au
Follow ABC NEWS on X (Twitter): http://twitter.com/abcnews
Note: In most cases, our captions are auto-generated.
#ABCNEWS #ABCNEWSAustralia
