Ep 04 - Grooming

From Victoria Police's top 5 charting true crime podcast Police Life: The Experts comes this story of how investigators took down a cruel and twisted online sex offender. Having a stranger gain access to private, intimate images is a terrifying and constant worry for many social media users – particularly for children. That stranger then threatening to release the images brings a whole new level of humiliation. A team of detectives shares how a four-year investigation put a rampant Snapchat sextortionist, who exploited dozens of young victims, behind bars. For more episodes like this, search for Police Life: The Experts wherever you get your podcasts. For more information about Victoria Police, go to police.vic.gov.auSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From Victoria Police's top 10 charting true crime podcast Police Life: The Experts comes this story of incredible survival, determination and trust. A hostage in her own home for 10 years, Carol-Anne was convinced her family violence ordeal at the hands of her husband would end in her death. But two Victoria Police officers stepped in to help her escape her tormentor and start a new life. For more episodes like this, search for Police Life: The Experts wherever you get your podcasts. For more information about Victoria Police, go to police.vic.gov.auSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the last episode of Unspeakable, we look at the various preventative programs that are being implemented by Victoria Police. We speak with police members and partners about the introduction of Multidisciplinary Centres, the Enhanced Response Model to Child Sexual Exploitation which is aimed at protecting at-risk children and the Knox SOCIT's local body safety awareness education program.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Technology is now part of our daily lives. We use it to search, learn and connect with others but how is this increased accessibility impacting on people in the community who may be vulnerable? In this episode we look at offenders who use digital platforms to groom and offend against their victims. We learn about the work of Victoria Police's Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team who play a critical role in investigating these crimes. We also speak with Frank, a father whose daughter was the victim of online grooming to an older man who she met in a gaming environment.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sexual offending is overwhelmingly a relationship-based crime and resistance from victims happens far less than many people thing. A common reason for this is grooming. In this episode we learn of Lucy's story. She was sadly abused by her step-father from the age of eight. We also speak with William Wainwright, a forensic psychologist, to learn more about how offenders control and manipulate their victims into compliance and silence.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A number of questions have come up as a result of Unspeakable and to help answer them we spoke with Inspector Everett Moutsidis from the Sexual Offence and Child Abuse Team. The next episode of Unspeakable will be released on Monday 2 October.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Historically people have wrongly assumed that victims would resist, fight back or have injuries from a sexual assault or rape. Research and victim accounts tell us otherwise, turning on their head any notions of 'typical' or 'normal' reactions. In this episode, we speak with a senior researcher for ANROWS about a 2013 study conducted by VicHealth, Carolyn Worth for SECASA, Dandenong SOCIT Detective, Joanne McDonald and Di, a victim-survivor who was tragically abused by her father from the age of nine.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the second instalment of our six-part series about understanding sexual crime, we discuss what happens beyond that initial report, from the perspective of an investigator and a victim. We also look at how police members become detectives in the Sexual Offences and Child Abuse Investigation Team and the specialist knowledge that's required to investigate sexual crimes.If you are seeking help you can call the CASA Sexual Assault Crisis Line on 1800 806 292 or to report a sexual offence to police please call Triple Zero (000) or your local police station.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The reporting of sexual crime has increased significantly in Victoria over the last six years, but there is still a long way to go in shifting the way we think about this sort of crime. In the first episode of Unspeakable we'll explore what's involved in reporting sexual offences to police.If you are seeking help you can call the CASA Sexual Assault Crisis Line on 1800 806 292 or to report a sexual offence to police please call Triple Zero (000) or your local police station.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Unspeakable is a podcast produced by Victoria Police. It offers a rare glimpse into the real life cases and the people behind them. Over six episodes, you'll hear from investigators, experts, victim-survivors, bringing their stories out from the shadows and into the light reality.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.