We need your help now
Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.
You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.
If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.
Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
By continuing, you are indicating that you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
JUSTICE MINISTER FRANCES Fitzgerald has warned young people to be careful about the photos of themselves they post online.
Fitzgerald said these images can end up being used by paedophile networks.
“We really have to get the message out to young people, children and young adults, be very careful what you put up online.
“It can be abused, it can be kept forever online and you can be very vulnerable as a result of it,” Fitzgerald said.
The minister added that some individuals “have been really shocked by what has happened to their images”.
Fitzgerald said the best way to get the message across is through education, and joint efforts by gardaí and internet service providers, who she said are increasingly becoming “very conscious of their obligations in this area in relation to young children”.
She noted it’s “very difficult” to deal with the issue from a legislative point of view, but added: “We are constantly working on that.”
Fitzgerald said the area of online grooming of children will be looked into in the sexual offences legislation currently being developed.
“Online grooming can look innocuous at the beginning, it’s when you look at the pattern over a period of time that you see the crime that’s involved. Legislation needs to be able to deal with that,” she stated.
It’s fine, I was an ugly child.
Twenty years ago kids were horrified at the thought of someone reading their diary. Today, kids put it online themselves and get upset if people don’t read it.
Good point Steve. There is an excellent BBC documentary called the century of the self. I’d recommend it as great viewing. The place where the consumerism world we live in has made it all about ourselves and very little about helping others. Myself included we are all influenced to varying levels. The era of the selfie.
And stop teaching generations to come in general that we all have to put pictures of ourselves onto social media, looking sexual or teaching them that in order to be valued you have to be desired by thousands of people. Enough of the vanity already, instill honesty, integrity and reality into your children. There is an onus on the media as well as parents in instilling values into future generations, we all have a part to play in this.
@ally o’rourke , i tip my hat
These pedo guys are going to be pairing up to get “married” and then taking advantage of the adoption system
Mark you appear to be confusing gay and paedophiles…they are not the same thing.
Also from your comment I gather you have no knowledge of the adoption system in Ireland. As someone who adopted, do you know how difficult and rigorous a process it is ? You don’t just rock on up to the agency and say “I would like a child please” and leave with one it takes years and its not always successful, I ended up adopting from Russia at a great expense…but it was worth it from my son.
I suggest you troll somewhere else.
This seems to assume that women are not pedophiles or do not facilitate partners. Which is not accurate
As far as I know, such a case already occured in Austrailia Clare : ”An Australian man and his partner purchased a baby boy in Russia in 2005, presenting themselves as a devoted pair of gay fathers” http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2013/s3794616.htm
Your point? Or rather, your agenda?
Yes Stephen. Paedophiles are very cunning (see below) but that is true regardless of marriage equality
Ian Glover, senior investigating officer, said: “We’ve encountered grooming where the family have been groomed prior to birth of the baby. They go in that early with the sole intention of abusing that baby once it’s born.”
I see his logic, let me explain.
There was a case in Aus where someone engaged in highly illegal human trafficking for the purpose of getting a child to abuse. There is going to be a vote on marriage today. If gays can adopt because of this vote (even though they cannot) they might try to do this legally, or some of them might, ergo we should not let gays adopt or get married.
Ergo str8 men who have abused young girls are out there, str8 couples have done the same thing, ergo we should stop str8 couples from getting married.
Also I know this guy who drunk drive’d last week, he had blonde hair, therefore we should not let blonde people get married.
The logic is simple if you hit your head first
Jesus that story is disgusting!
There both the same thing when you break it down. All lgbt community members think about is sex and depravity
Ryan is correct. All it takes is a bit of bloody common sense and logical thought… The naivety of people in 2015 is shameful
Mark, what about all the straight people that are married and abuse their own children? We should stop all marraige then shouldn’t we?
Also, more important information from the government. Do not stick your finger into a wall socket or you may get electrocuted.
You don’t have to be young to be stupid Frances.
Parents are the worst offenders! They constantly put up photos of their children, without any thought to how those images could be doctored.
Funnily enough Francis us parents have been telling our kids not to do this since the first social media sites emerged , do try to keep up .
Let’s have a referendum can they get married. It’s for equality
I think my picture is safe!
have your say