Earlier this year I went on 'Chat Avenue', a site with many different sub-chats. I went into the kids chat and said that I was a 13 year old girl. Within seconds I had messages from many older (18+) men and women requesting explicit pictures, sending explicit pictures without warning, people asking if I wanted to see child porn as well as pedophiles interested in a relationship with a 13 year old.

When I had sufficent evidence of predatory chats between me and other users, I reported it to the ACCCE (Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation). They told me I should just stay off the site. I have no reason to believe they have done anything to stop the predatory behaviour happening on the site.

I know that I can be safe on these sites, but I don't know that my peers and schoolmates will be. We hear so many horrific stories about what happens when these situations are allowed to continue to progress without regulation. It's time to take action before another tragedy happens.