PAEDOPHILES are using free internet phone calls as the latest way of grooming young children, Scotland on Sunday can reveal.
Detectives are in talks with one of the leading providers, Skype, about improving security, after evidence emerged that child-groomers were using the system to contact youngsters.
Skype, which has almost 200 million members worldwide, allows anyo
ne with a broadband connection and the necessary software to talk directly to other users anywhere on the planet for free.
But the service encourages users to enter a considerable amount of personal information during set-up, and it is possible to search for Skype users by age.
Police are asking the firm to change their procedures after a "small number" of cases where children were apparently contacted by paedophiles.
The risk has been identified by the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) centre, part of the UK's Serious Organised Crime Agency. Last week, CEOP smashed Britain's biggest child sex ring, arresting three people and opening investigations into 200 suspected paedophiles.
CEOP's annual report specifically identifies Skype as a potential problem. It states that, so far, the service has been reported in three cases of suspected approaches by paedophiles but "this is an area of technology that is still relatively new to a large proportion of the population".
According to the report: "The nature of Skype technology means that it presents a unique problem to law enforcement and is an area that needs to be closely monitored by CEOP to see if reporting levels increase and indicate a growing trend."
Tracking down other Skype users can be done either by putting in an individual's name or a location. If you have a specific name, then that too can be typed in, or you can search by age.
Officially, users have to be at least 20 but there is nothing to stop someone putting in false details. Another way is by logging on to one of a number of Skype chatrooms, where users, many of them underage, post not only their own names but sometimes their internet address and even mobile phone numbers.
Police are also concerned that there is currently no way of monitoring live calls.
Last month, officers from the Metropolitan Police's child protection unit met Skype officials to discuss the problem.
Yesterday, one detective said: "It is such a simple and cost-saving idea that it was only a matter of time before someone tried to take advantage. While the number of complaints about Skype has been minimal, it is feared that there could be many, many more cases unless something is done to clamp down on the problem."
A spokesman for CEOP told Scotland on Sunday: "We need to keep one step ahead of the offenders and one of the ways we do this is by talking to the manufacturers. We have done this and will continue to do this."
Skype operates in 200 countries and is now owned by eBay, which bought it in 2005 for around £1.3bn.
The service is part of a revolution in worldwide communications made possible by broadband internet. As well as direct connections with other users, Skype and other firms offer cut-price calls to conventional phone lines across the globe.
No one was available for comment either at Skype's UK headquarters in London or eBay head offices in California.
A click away from reaching youngsters
aAs a self-confessed computer Luddite, I was astonished at the ease with which I was able to become a Skype user.
Downloading and installing the software, and then filling in the registration details, took just a few minutes and then I was able to begin an experimental trawl for information.
As a newcomer, it took probably 20 minutes before I was confident navigating my way around but to a more accomplished user - or a determined, predatory paedophile - it would have taken hardly any time.
But even with my ignorance, I was able to obtain the details of dozens of under-16s from across the globe, all of whom I could have contacted with just the click of a mouse.
For example, I had - but did not take - the opportunity to talk to 14-year-old Tamara in Seoul, South Korea, who listed her interests as "watching musicals, movies, reading, writing, travelling and ice-skating".
Camila, from Brazil, wrote: "15 almost 16, hehehe. Interest: guitars, dogs, technology." Mia from Augsburg, Germany, who was just 13 years old, had also posted her details.
By describing their interests, it means that any possible predator can swot up on favourite subjects before getting in touch.
When they sign up to Skype, users are given the opportunity to fill in their details to help their friends and acquaintances find them on the network. Although filling in one's age is not compulsory, many consumers - including children - do so, and like many teenagers, many lie about their date of birth.
In addition, many children disclose their home and mobile phone numbers, address and other personal details, all of which is priceless information for a paedophile.
