NETWORKING websites that have attracted millions of young users are to come under scrutiny from anti-pedophile investigators amid growing concerns that children are unwittingly providing material for potential abusers.

In Britain, the government-backed watchdog, the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre, has begun an inquiry into the websites after concern from teachers and parents.

Both teachers and parents have become alarmed at how children are using the sites, such as MySpace, Facebook, Friendster and Bebo, to display personal details and, in some cases, intimate photographs of themselves. It is estimated that 61 per cent of British children aged 13 to 17 have a personal profile on a networking site, which enables a user to create a personal home page, exhibit photographs and socialise online.

Of the 8 million children in Britain with access to the internet, one in 12 says they have gone on to meet someone whom they initially encountered online. Police say more than 50,000 sexual predators are thought to be online at any one time.

The statistics are equally alarming in Australia, where research from the federal watchdog NetAlert shows a huge disconnect between parents and their teenage children over online behaviour. A study conducted together with NineMSN found that 40 per cent of teens would potentially meet in person someone they have "met" online and only 12 per cent would ask their parents' permission to do so.

More than 40 per cent of 16-18 year olds admitted in the survey that they had downloaded content from the internet that they didn't want their parents to know about, and while half of the parents surveyed believed they "always" know what sites their children visit, 71 per cent of parents believed their children use the internet for research, while only 23 per cent of teens said they research online.

Despite this, Australian authorities say the best way to deal with the situation is through public education and information, rather than censorship or inquiry.

"These figures clearly highlight the need for ongoing internet safety education for children of all ages," said the chairwoman of NetAlert, Karyn Hart. "Only through education and open discussion can the community hope to protect its children online."

The latest site to come under scrutiny in Britain is Bebo, which organises networks around schools, and has attracted 25 million members since its launch 18 months ago. On the site children as young as 13 have begun showing pictures of themselves in sexual poses, semi-naked or wearing lingerie. One head teacher called in police after discovering more than 700 of her students had signed up with Bebo, and that some were displaying images she considered indecent.

"Most girls who have registered have included a potentially dangerous amount of personal detail, including full names, forms, names of friends and, perhaps most worryingly, a photograph. Some of these photographs could only be described as soft pornography, when viewed by the wrong people," she wrote. "We feel this lays the girls open to potential pedophiles."

The "schools" section of Bebo and Myspace can be accessed in less than a minute and users do not need to register to do so.

While Australian schools networks abound with young teenagers taking mainly silly, pouty shots of themselves with mates or self-portraits with a digital camera at arm's length, provocative photos of some young people are present.

Most alarming, however, is the fact that the schools' addresses are outlined. Combined with the names, ages and interests of students they provide a physical location to the virtual introductions. To get greater access to the children on the site, users do need to register. But the registration process asks for your age, yet also has an option to hide it from other users. And there is no verification process that proves you are who you say you are online.

Detective Superintendent Helen Begg, head of the NSW Child Protection and Sex Crime Squad, said she discouraged students from linking their social profiles to their schools.

"The school links are a concern and we don't recommend that students using the sites provide any information that allows them to be traced in the real world," Begg said.

"You wouldn't hand a stranger on the street your name, phone number and contact details - so parents should ensure their children know not to do it online."

With a staff of 180, including the Child Exploitation Internet Unit under her command, Begg said the NSW Police were particularly aware of the dangers of messaging and social networking sites to children and kept a regular eye on the sites.

"It's parents, however, who are our first line of defence," she said.

Sergeant Richard Long, who works with the internet unit, said it was increasingly dealing with reports from parents concerned that their children had been approached online. While the unit has the expertise to investigate cases, all police in local area commands were aware of the issue and in a position to deal with initial inquiries.
 

"We have not made any arrests yet surrounding the social networks, but they are the second wave of chat sites so it's probably only a matter of time."

Commonwealth-based legislation passed last year makes it illegal to search for, share and download images of children being physically and sexually abused. It is illegal also to groom children in internet chat rooms with the intention of committing sexual abuse, online or offline.

Police have acted globally, too, with Britain's National Crime Squad creating the Virtual Global Task Force, together with Australian, US and Canadian law enforcement agencies. A worldwide child pornography blitz late last year, dubbed Operation Auxin, identified more than 700 suspects in Australia, leading to 228 arrests and 2260 charges.

Children can now also pass on suspect messages by clicking on a logo - a stick figure with an eye - which is being adopted by major online providers such as Microsoft, AOL and Vodafone.

All social networking sites include tips and information on their safe usage which, if followed, resulted in a trouble-free experience, said Begg. The NSW Police website also has an internet users guide, as does NetAlert.

In a statement in Britain, the company operating Bebo said: "Bebo has taken the issues of privacy and safety very seriously since its inception and was one of the first social networking sites to partner with organisations like wiredsafety.org to create safety tips on issues such as cyber bullying and online safety. We prominently post links to these safety tips for parents and Beboers on our home page and all profiles have a 'report abuse' link where members can report other members for inappropriate content or behaviour."

Last month, a 21-year-old media student from Surrey in Britain became the first person to be convicted of child-grooming offences after one of his victims reported his online advances to the Virtual Global Taskforce.

Lee Costi was arrested after arranging to meet a 14-year-old at a railway station for sex. By the time police intervened he had already enticed and had sex with two other girls, aged 13 and 14.