Imagine shutting your child in a dark room with strangers. You don't know who they are talking to; in fact, they don't know who they are talking to. Welcome to the internet.
The internet can be a real blessing in our lives, allowing us to access a vast storehouse of knowledge and communicate with people in different countries who share our interests.
It can even allow us to present ourselves as the kind of person we would like to be – perhaps as a powerful wizard in an online fantasy game - rather than who we actually are.
Yet there is a downside to this wonderful medium, as others will take advantage of the 'hands off' nature of the internet, and the different rules that we might all apply when using the internet as a medium for communication.
Fraudsters will do this, as indeed will individuals intent on committing sexual offences. The latter in particular can exploit the vulnerable – such as children, those who feel isolated, or even proud parents who are anxious to show off pictures of their precious children.
Offences can include accessing pictures of children, befriending with a view to meeting and offending against, or, as in this recent case, causing children to perform sexual acts online via a webcam.
Those individuals who harness the internet to commit sexual offences will typically use grooming to commit their crimes, and will persuade, cajole and befriend others to facilitate their offending.
It is not just children we should be concerned about, as the whole of society needs to reflect on their online interactions.
Ask yourself what controls you take in normal 'offline' life? What sort of information or guarantees would you need before you did X [whatever action that might be] in 'real' life?