Realizing this threat, the Australian Communications and Media Authority along with the police, are using a role-playing activity that helps educate children about child porn seeking adults, and ensure they are free from potential harm.

The presence of pedophiles on chat and IM is a growing concern, said Mark Yarrow, federal agent in the Australian Federal Police's (AFP) online child sex exploitation team. "It is happening. It is a real threat to children."

As much as the Internet has its positives, Yarrow said, people use it for the wrong reasons as well. "Not everything on the Internet is right," he said.

To reduce this threat of child porn, the ACMA has been running an activity called Cybersmart Detectives this past year. The activity was originally developed by UK-based Childnet International, and is targeted at teaching upper primary school children, around the age of 11 and 12 years, Internet safety messages, particularly related to those in the use of Internet chat rooms.

Cybersmart Detectives' key message to the kids is to be aware that, in the online environment, people may not be who they say they are; and if they want to meet someone face-to-face who they've chatted with, they should always take a parent or an adult with them.