Police issued their warnings on Safer Internet Day, saying it's far too easy for teens to lead sexual predators "right to your door" through sexting or posting selfies, through a geolocation setting on mobile devices.
Officers held a news conference at police headquarters where they relayed the message that "every keystroke can have a consequence" and to "conduct yourself on the internet just as you would in public."
Police say they've been made aware that victims of internet predators are becoming younger — in fact, as young as eight. Det.-Const. Michele Bond said a key problem is that kids are sending photos to people they don't know.
"They're thinking it could be a 12-year-old girl they're talking to [when it's] really a 40-year-old man living across the country or in another country," Bond told CBC News.
"We are asking parents to take a minute to review the setting options and determine if they are age-appropriate," she said in a Toronto Police Service release. "A geolocation setting can be useful and actually required for some applications to work. However, it can also lead a predator right to your door."
The CBC's Kate Adach spoke to some Grade 11 students about their online habits — and has several tips from police for parents on how to keep their children safe.
On mobile? Click here to watch the report.
