London, March 31: A British man who befriended a 15-year-old boy in Adelaide using Facebook has been arrested and charged with sex offences after arriving from the United Kingdom.
Police said the 40-year-old man was expected to appear in the Elizabeth Magistrates Court today charged with indecent assault and making communication with a child for prurient purposes.
“Police will allege the man met the teenager over the internet and has been corresponding with him for the last two years via Facebook,” a police spokesman said.
The alleged offences occurred after the man arrived in Adelaide on March 25 to stay with the boy’s family.
“Police are continuing investigations into the activities of the man since he arrived in Adelaide and are liaising with police in the UK,” the spokesman said.
“This incident serves as a timely reminder for parents about the importance of supervising the use of internet technology that children use as part of their learning and everyday lives.
“Rapid advancement in internet technology over the past 10 years has provided new opportunities for individuals to communicate in real time.
“At the same time, these advancements have exposed the community to a range of new criminal activities, one of which involves the online exploitation of children.
“The potential for individuals with an inappropriate sexual interest in children to establish an online relationship with and groom children for sexual abuse represents a very real threat to the safety of children.”
Police urged parents to closely monitor what their children were accessing online and who they were talking to.
——–Agencies