New campaign targets online child sexual exploitation

CTV London: Cybertip campaign Cybertip has launched a campaign urging citizens to report online child sexual exploitation. Gerry Dewan has more.

A new campaign is asking for your help to turn the predators into the prey.

The Cybertip.ca campaign targets online child sexual exploitation and London police are hoping it leads to more tips and more convictions.

“We as police are only as good at doing what we do if we have the information to act upon," says Det. Sgt. Alex Krygsman.

Krygsman oversees the London Police Child Sexual Exploitation Unit. He hopes the new Cybertip.ca campaign will prompt people to report any images or conversations that may compromise a child...

“I would say that any tip is important to us, no matter how trivial or small you think it is,” says Krygsman.  “Make that call, provide that information and allow us to investigate and determine what the tip is all about, or what the information is all about, so that we can do the right thing.”

The campaign features both the television public services announcement and a series of billboards.

Cybertip.ca is run by the Canadian Centre For Child Protection in Winnipeg. They say encouraging children to say or do sexually explicit things on line often leads to even more disturbing results.

“Child sexual abuse is at the heart of child pornography, at the heart of the issue," says Stephen Sauer, Cybertip.ca systems specialist.

That's why the campaign stressed the need for everyone to do their part.

“So we need to remind Canadians that the earlier they report, the earlier an intervention can happen and a distribution of the material being posted online can be stopped,” says Sauer.