Senator the Hon Helen Coonan was Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts from 18 July 2004 to 3 December 2007. This site is available for archival purposes only.

Senator Stephen Conroy is the current Minister for the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy

Wednesday 5 September 2007

Helping the AFP combat online grooming

In Perth today, the Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, Senator the Hon Helen Coonan, said that 40 percent of children who chat online have been contacted by someone they don’t know.

Senator Coonan said the Australian Government’s $189 million NetAlert – Protecting Australian Families Online programme was providing the Australian Federal Police (AFP) with $43 million to increase the number of online police tracking down internet predators.

“Tackling the dangerous side of the internet poses two main challenges: the content available online and most concerning, unsuspecting children being contacted by online predators. Time and time again, families have expressed concern about stranger contact online-predators using the internet to meet and groom children.

“Our partnership with the Australian Federal Police will help catch online predators who use the online environment to seek out our vulnerable children.”

Senator Coonan said this additional funding to the Online Child Sex Exploitation Team (OCSET) and its hi-tech crime units will enable the deployment of 36 new staff in 2007-08 and rising to an additional 90 staff by 2009-10.

“OCSET is dedicated to the detection and investigation of online child sex exploitation, with a particular focus on targeting the ‘grooming’ of children by online predators.

“Since its inception, OCSET has been responsible for laying charges against 55 people for a total of 160 offences.

Senator Coonan said the Government was also increasing the resources of the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions (CDPP) by $1.4 million in 2007-08 and $2.8 million per annum for three years to undertake the additional prosecutions which are expected as a result of the extra AFP resourcing.

“The Howard Government has a serious commitment to protecting our children online that is why we have delivered a comprehensive programme using the broadest possible line of attack in the protection of Australian families online.

“NetAlert – Protecting Australian Families Online is a $189 million initiative combining services and education, regulation and policing to ensure that Australian families can get the best of the internet, whilst minimising potential harm,” Senator Coonan said.

Media Contact: Katherine Meier 0417 441 141