SURREY Police have launched a social media campaign to raise awareness of online grooming among young people as well as educate parents and teachers about how they can help protect children online.

The publicity campaign will reach out to young people aged 11-16, specifically using Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

Videos, advice and useful websites will be shared to get people thinking about online grooming – how it can happen – as well as giving tips on how to stay safe online.

Surrey Police were heavily criticised last year over the death of 14-year-old Breck Brednar, who was lured to his death in the Essex flat by sadist Lewis Daynes, who groomed the schoolboy online.

Following the success of TV advertising for the force in previous campaigns such as last year’s Child Sexual Exploitation campaign and the current Policing Matters campaign, three different adverts will be used to reach teenagers.

The adverts depict both a male and female victim of online grooming in three different scenarios, all beginning with a perpetrator connecting with a victim online.They include:–

• The online grooming leads to the victim meeting face-to-face with the perpetrator however the perpetrator has bad intentions which weren’t what the victim first thought

• The victim is asked to send an explicit picture, and the perpetrator is shown as an older man who is not who they thought they were talking to

• The victim sends a picture to the perpetrator and it is not kept private and is shared online with multiple people.

The aim of the adverts is to raise awareness of online grooming and the different ways it can happen, as well as highlight that if children are concerned about themselves or a friend they should report it.

The force will also be asking schools to share messages with parents through their newsletters and online intranet portals.

Superintendent Chris Edwards said: “Online grooming can, and does, impact both boys and girls across Surrey, and crimes like this can have a long lasting effect on victims and their families.

“The internet allows us to communicate with people from anywhere in the world any time, and unfortunately some people use this to take advantage of young people.

“We hope by talking to teenagers online about ways to protect themselves, as well as encourage them to talk to a trusted adult – or report to us if they have any concerns about themselves or a friend – that we can help reduce the number of victims of online grooming.

He added: “If you’re a parent and are concerned a child is being groomed, don’t hesitate to report it to us. I’d encourage you to talk to your children about staying safe online and make sure they’re aware of what they can do to protect themselves.”

What you can do to protect yourself or your child online:

• Keep accounts private

Most websites, apps and social networks have privacy settings. These help you control who can follow you, what you share and who you share it with

• Choose friends wisely:

It’s always best to only share with friends you know in the real world

• Remove and report:

Make sure you know how to remove content, as well as report content if it’s about you and you’re worried or if it’s offensive.

• Know yourself online:

Regularly Google yourself to see what other people can find about you, as well as things others might have posted about you.

• Shut down or delete:

If you stop using a website, remember to deactivate your account

• Report suspicious online behaviour to the police, Crimestoppers anonymous- ly, or tell a trusted adult.

The adverts can be seen on Surrey Police’s You-Tube channel.