Britain to crackdown on chatroom predators

LONDON - Britain's Home Secretary plans to crack down on paedophiles who befriend children through internet chatrooms.

Jack Straw met officials to discuss drawing up a new offence to control the online activities of paedophiles yesterday, Prime Minister Tony Blair said.

Internet service providers could be encouraged to provide parents with packages that excluded online chatrooms.

Britain has no specific legislation against internet paedophilia. Mr Blair was pressed on the issue during Prime Minister's Question Time by Paul Burstow, the Liberal Democrat MP, who said a 12-year-old girl in his constituency had been approached by a paedophile on the internet.

Mr Burstow said: "As many as one in five children who use internet chatrooms are approached by paedophiles in this way. Will you take steps to review the law to ensure that such online grooming is a criminal offence and also use pressure... on internet service providers... so that our children can be protected?"

Mr Blair said that after Mr Straw's meeting "we are actively considering doing what you have just suggested".