News: Catch Online paedophiles

'Anti-grooming' software will

catch online paedophiles

London: Scientists have developed "anti-grooming" software, which can detect whether kids may be chatting with an adult posing as a child or a teenager on the internet.

         The program, which has been developed by Lancaster University, uses language analysis technique to detect fraudsters. The key is that people of a particular age group have a particular vocabulary. Computer experts believe it could be a significant breakthrough in helping to catch paedophiles.

        Researchers believe the software could eventually be used to pick up on "stylistic footprints"  used by paedophiles, which would help police track them as they move around the internet.

       In a study, when the software was installed on some computers, it correctly worked out whether it was an adult or a child using a chat room in 47 cases out of 50 - including when an adult was pretending to be a child.

       "Paedophiles often pose as children online and our research indicates that children don't find it easy to spot an adult pretending to be a child," the Independent quoted professor Awais Rashid, from Lancaster University's computing department, as saying.

        "We hope to develop a system which can pick up on quirks of language particular to a certain age group. These language patterns can help us expose adults who seek to groom children online.

        "The software looks at a range of things, for example, the structure of sentences, the language which is being used and also things which indicate deception."

        It is hoped that an early working version of the software could be available by next summer.