A 14-year-old boy has become Hong Kong's first known online sex-abuse victim after he was 'seduced' by an adult posing as a child on an Internet chat site, police said yesterday.
Police warned parents and teachers that child pornography was on the rise and that children using the Internet should be strictly monitored.
Superintendent Philip Bouttle of the police's Child Protection Policy Unit said the boy's parents had stopped his communication with the offender from home, but he had switched to using his school computer.
'This is why it is crucial that both parents and teachers are aware of the dangers that are out there,' he said.
International evidence shows paedophiles use the Internet to 'seduce and abduct' children, often sending them sexual pictures to convince them the abuse was acceptable.
Easily accessible newsgroups - electronic bulletin boards - are used to post the material.
Mr Bouttle said: 'There are many, many documented cases overseas of child pornography being used to encourage children to take part in sexual acts.