Child safety experts have warned that chat and messaging technology has “grown quicker than our ability to regulate”.
The head of child online safety at the NSPCC contributed to the debate surrounding mobile apps following a recent Courier report.
Claire Lilley called for tougher legislation in the wake of a court case involving a Tayside man, who sent “inappropriate” messages to a young girl 37 years his junior but was found not guilty of offences under Scottish communications law.
A sheriff acknowledged “any parent would be concerned” by the messages, which contained reams of “emoticons” and “emoji” sent by the man pictorial representations of concepts and emotions.
The bulk of the messages were sent using WhatsApp an unsecured network that Prime Minister David Cameron recently vowed to clamp down on.
Ms Lilley’s comments came as the man who helped draw up the legislation regarding “grooming” expressed his concerns that sex offenders are using new technologies to befriend children.
Ms Lilley told The Courier: “Sadly, predators are quick to exploit new technology to take advantage of young people, and keeping children safe online is now the biggest child protection challenge of this generation.
“Alongside tough sanctions for those caught grooming, we need to educate our children about staying safe.”
The chief executive of Childnet, Will Gardner, said things have moved on dramatically since he formed the UK internet safety charity to investigate the use of chat rooms.
“We talk to children as young as three or four about the importance of telling someone if you get bothered online,” he said.
Childnet launches Safer Internet Day on February 10.