Getting tough with online paedophiles

Paedophiles could be jailed if they use the Internet to try to lure children into meeting them. This was one of the main proposals of an interim report to Home Secretary David Blunkett from the government's taskforce on child protection on the internet.

Making 'grooming' (when adults pretend to be teenagers to win young people's trust) a criminal offence is one measure that could become law as early as next year if the proposal is accepted.

Other favoured measures include a 'kite mark' system for chatrooms, so that parents will know which are considered safe, to help them avoid or ban those that are unregulated. Special alert or panic buttons should be implemented in chatrooms and clearly displayed, said the taskforce.

It also proposed that regulators or monitors of chatrooms are properly recruited, screened, trained and supervised. The taskforce may also recommend the implementation of a new internet content rating system coupled with educational programmes to help children learn about safe surfing.

The taskforce recommended proper computer training for all police officers and other organisations and people who are engaged in child protection, such as social workers.

The taskforce, which includes representatives of the Internet industry, child welfare organisations, the police and the government, aims to help Whitehall meet its pledge to make UK cyberspace the safest in the world for Internet users.

Its establishment was agreed at the beginning of the year, as part of the government's response to a report by the Internet Crime Forum on child safety in Internet chatrooms. The report found that children as young as 13 are being approached by paedophiles on the Web, with one in five children receiving sexual advances.

The briefing with the Home Secretary is an interim report as the taskforce will not make its final recommendations until later this year.

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