Kmart predator Sterling Free lured a little girl from the Kmart toy aisle and sexually assaulted her in bushland. Furious parents and politicians say the government must immediately seek a stronger sentence for a paedophile who abducted a child from a shopping centre and molested her in bushland. Sterling Mervyn Free was jailed for eight years on Friday after pleading guilty to taking a child for immoral purposes, deprivation of liberty and the indecent treatment of a child under 12, but could be free on parole in less than two years. An online petition demanding the government appeal the 'lenient' sentence has gained almost 7, signatures in a matter of days.
Why Do I Put Photos of My Innocent Children On Social Media? (And Should I?) - Emily Henderson
Once upon a time, only the wealthy and privileged could afford to have their portraits painted by a small, select circle of artists. With the advent of photography, parents of all backgrounds could have pictures of their children, which were coveted as documents of their development and a way to show off their innocent beauty and charm to family and friends. Today, with smartphones and social media, we all have in our hands the means to broadcast our pride and joy to the world. Ninety-two percent of American children have an online presence before the age of 2. Parents post nearly 1, images of their children online before their fifth birthday. And as we have seen in the recent abduction and murder of year-old Nicole Lovell of Blacksburg, Va.
And being unwavering in your principles is certainly easier said than done. Needless to say, I have very complicated feelings about my kids and social media both their involvement and presence in my social media and, looking down the line, Charlie and Elliot on social media themselves. But like any intelligent, progressive, responsible and terrified mom, I mostly just want them to be as far away as possible from social media. Hilarious, I know but there is a plot twist at the end.
These are external links and will open in a new window. Concerns about children's exposure to graphic sexual images online have led to calls for primary pupils to hear about the dangers of pornography. So how should schools broach the subject and what is the right age to start? At Castledyke Primary in Barton, North Lincolnshire, head teacher Rosie Pugh has adopted a robust approach to building children's resilience to any explicit material they may see online and is in no doubt that it needs to start early.