The internet came into our lives in the late 1990's, since when it has become an integral part of social interaction. Teenagers and children rely on it as a means of communication through chatrooms, instant messenger and social networking sites such as facebook and bebo. While this interaction is an essential part of young peoples' existence, it is also sometimes abused by predatory individuals using the susceptibility of young people for their own gain.

Our experience in dealing with such abuse began at the same time. While many people communicating on the net were perfectly straightforward and trustable, for almost the first time our children were exposed to an environment whereby they could be approached by people they didn't know, sometimes even from another country, sometimes purporting to be someone they were not. The anonymity of words on a screen made it all too feasible for a teenager to be talking to what they thought was someone of the same age - the predator taking advantage of the child's naivety or susceptibility. We honed our skills right when these dangers started, tackling predators and would-be paedophiles.