I’m grateful for the opportunity to speak in this important debate today. As the chair of the cross-party group for preventing child sexual abuse, we have worked closely with the NSPCC, Stop It Now! Cymru and the Survivors Trust. These organisations are dedicated to putting an end to the online abuse and exploitation of children through a preventative and early intervention approach. Child sexual abuse has to be called out for what it is, and we must not shy away from the reality of it. Speaking up on this is a must. Sexual abuse thrives on secrecy, and while we’ve spent years teaching children about stranger danger, and how to be safe when they’re out and about, the anonymity of the internet requires different measures to safeguard children. As it is the responsibility of all of us to look out for the dangers in our communities, keeping children safe online must be a collective effort.

Children are some of the most prolific consumers of online content. According to the latest National Survey for Wales statistics, 95 per cent of children in Wales aged 7 to 15 use the internet at home. Ofcom estimates that children and young people spend an average of 15 hours online per week, which is greater than the time they spend watching tv. Social media sites, online games and apps that children use are constantly changing, and it can be difficult for parents and teachers to keep up. In particular, parents and carers often don’t know about the different rules and risks that come with each site. The NSPCC’s Net Aware campaign is tackling this directly, by giving parents the resources to find out about the sites their children use, providing them with a guide to these sites and the associated risks. This is a great example of the charity working in partnership with businesses to safeguard and protect children.

Worryingly, from the numbers of children who contact Childline, viewing sexually explicit images saw the greatest year-on-year increase, up by 60 per cent from 2014-15. Young people reported that online groomers used a number of different forums to contact them. However, manipulative tactics used by offenders mean many child victims are unaware that they are being groomed or exploited, and often adults are unable to identify the signs. I know that the Welsh Government is currently working closely with the UK Council for Child Internet Safety Board on how to deal with difficult online safety issues, such as sexting. But more work needs to be done with internet providers, and I would like to see the UK Government taking a stronger lead on this.

Police forces around Wales are working with schools to educate pupils on issues such as grooming, sexual exploitation, sharing images and staying safe online. Gwent Police, for example, has provided 1,874 lessons to almost 50,000 pupils in 2014-15. The Welsh Government is supporting Operation NetSafe, a pan-Wales campaign led by South Wales Police in partnership with the Lucy Faithfull Foundation, which aims to prevent viewing and sharing of indecent images of children online. This work is important, and all good practice must be shared.

Healthy relationships are essential in helping children understand boundaries, and how to behave online, and I’m pleased that the expert panel are providing advice and support on issues relating to this in the curriculum. In addition, today’s news from the education Secretary is very welcome. A new national online safety action plan for children and young people will build on the extensive programme already under way in schools to support young people to stay safe online. Finally, the cross-party group has an online safety event in the Pierhead in October, and I hope many Members will attend to show support and determination to do all that we can to tackle child sexual exploitation online.