PRIVATE DETECTIVES Tel: 01483 200999

CHATROOM DANGER Discreet Internet monitoring and Fifth Column Investigation Tel: 0800 980 4 267 What is a Chatroom?

What is a Chat Room?		A Chat room is an online meeting place. Users sign on using an anonymous sign-on name. The upside is that users do not have to reveal their details immediately, the downside is that anyone can pretend to be anyone - enabling a 55 year old man to pose as a 14 year old boy
How do people talk?		By typing messages, either in public - where their words are displayed on screen for all to see - or through a private ("pm") or instant ("im") message that is one-to-one. Users may choose to activate voice messaging and talk in real time through a microphone, or even use a video link where image froma personal webcam is seen on screen.
What are the themes?		Everything conceivable. Yahoo!, one of the major chat room providers, host rooms based on country, region, sexual orientation, profession etc where like minded people gather to talk. There are also "user rooms", which can be created by anyone, carrying titles on any subject - examples include "Young Girls for Older Men", "The Incest Room", "Teens for Married Men", "The Upskirt Room" - there are hundreds of variants.
Is there any age restriction?		Few chat rooms use any form of age verification. Yahoo! will not allow access to 'adult rooms' for any person who is registered as under 18, a system easily beaten by the average teenager as it is dependent upon the user's registration details for verification. A 13 year old only has to state that he/she is 18 when registering to be deemed so.
Are the rooms monitored?		To a degree. Chat room "monitors" are voluntary. Public awareness is growing, as seen in our News item for the BBC 6 O'Clock news

Answers Investigation have years of experience in dealing with and monitoring the problems of internet grooming and online abuse. We have brought many transgressors to order, on behalf of their employers when misuse has been suspected and when working for relations of victims. The BBC 6 o'clock news used our expertise for a ground breaking news story and we have co-operated with various authorities across the world.

sites for specialist and localised service:

For enquiries in the city visit www.londoncityeye.co.uk

	For enquiries in Dorset visit www.pidorset.co.uk		For enquiries in Berkshire visit www.berkshireeye.co.uk		For enquiries in Hampshire visit www.solenteye.co.uk
	Think 21! Specialist licensed trade support site at www.think21.co.uk		Challenge 21! ID checking for the licensed trade - www.challenge21.co.uk		Teenage Detectives on their own website at www.teendetective.co.uk
	Franchise site at www.answersinvestigation.co.uk		Website for the LGBT community at www.pinkdetective.co.uk		For enquiries in Hertfordshire visit www.watfordeye.co.uk

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0800 980 4 267