A Garda expert in child internet safety warns that more and more children and teenagers are being exploited online.
The Garda National Protective Services Bureau says the abuse is often also by their peers.
Detective Sergeant Michael Smyth, of the Garda National Protective Services Bureau, is warning of the dangers of young people sending provocative pictures of themselves to others.
He says the person receiving the images may not be who they seem.
In a presentation on the issue to members of the Joint Policing Committee in Leitrim this week, he said more children are being exploited, including by others in their own age groups:
And with technology changing so fast, another difficulty is the lack of knowledge and awareness among older people, including parents.
There’s also the growing trend of more children being look after by their grandparents because their parents are working:
