Internet child luring and exploitation further amplified in isolated northern communities
Jill Westerman,
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Living in an isolated Northern community does not offer a child protection from online predators waiting to lure and abuse innocent children, according to a Statistics Canada report on online child sexual exploitation.
With the world at one’s fingertips, the Internet has become a nefarious playground for those wanting to manipulate and harm a child who may unwittingly participate in conversations and interactions intended to expose them to harm.
The Report, Online child sexual exploitation: A statistical profile of police-reported incidents in Canada, 2014 to 2022, indicates that between 2018 and 2022, there were 29 incidents of online sexual offences against children in Nunavut – an average annual rate of 30 per cent. It was also noted that in 26 of those 29 incidents, or 18 per cent, the accused person was identified.
The Report also noted that Canada’s three territories had the highest average annual rates of accused persons identified in connection with an online child sexual exploitation offense when population size was accounted for.
Nunavut had the highest rate (18 accused per 100,000), followed by the Northwest Territories (15) and Yukon (14). These rates were around three times higher than the national average of five.
Awareness is protection
Nunavut RCMP V Division spokesperson Cpl. George Henrie said they want to raise awareness with the public that instances of child luring do occur in the territory.
“We want people to be aware that child luring can also occur not just in social media platforms, but also in gaming platforms such as online gaming or various gaming apps where chatting is enabled,” Henrie said.
The Nunavut RCMP Specialized Investigative Team recently issued information to help Nunavummiut protect themselves and their loved ones against online child luring.
Child luring occurs when an adult uses the internet to communicate with someone they know is under 18 years of age for a sexual purpose. Luring often starts with online chatting, then moves to sharing intimate images and can escalate to meeting in person where physical sexual abuse can occur, the RCMP stated in a news release.
To reduce the risk of children becoming victim to online predators, RCMP recommend the following for parents:
• Talk to your child/teens regularly about internet safety
• Become familiar with the apps and websites your child is watching or gaming on
• Monitor your child/teens’ internet activity and who they are contacting
• Look into free Parental Control Apps for iPhone and Android phones
• Review the privacy settings and how to report inappropriate content and behaviour
• For consoles and computers, set up parental controls and create passwords
• Seek games that offer the ability to block or restrict individuals who can play with your child and allow you to mute other individuals from chatting with them
• Remove devices from rooms before bed and consider turning off the wi-fi at night
• Teach your child or teen that they should never meet someone they met online in person without a parent or guardian present
If a child or teen feels that they are a victim to online predatory behaviour they should:
• Immediately stop talking to that person
• Do not delete the chats. Take a screenshot of the image or video with the user name, phone
number, date/time and entire text conversation
• Reach out for help – tell a trusted adult who can call the police
Resources are available for more information from:
Jill Westerman,
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Nunavut News
