Today Constable Matt McFlynn talked to the Year 10 cohort about the law and harmful digital communications. The talk was simple and straight to the point and the engagement by the young men was evident by the total silence during his presentation. No doubt many young men were very surprised by what was said and in particular, how easy it is to be prosecuted for having in their possession, inappropriate content on their phones. Specific aspects covered by Mr McFlynn in the 15 minute presentation were:
• What constitutes inappropriate (or sexually explicit) content on a device
• What is required (consent) before sharing potentially objectionable/questionable material if you are over 16
• How sharing inappropriate material on someone under 16 is illegal, regardless of consent
• What is likely to happen if you are found to have objectionable material on your device, whether you have shared it or not
• How it is illegal to simply have objectionable material on your phone, even if you have simply been sent it by someone else.
Constable McFlynn urged the young men to delete all questionable material that they may have on their phones/devices, particularly if it relates to another person. He also reiterated the fact that when the police are conducting an investigation, they have the ability to “trace” what you have been doing with inappropriate/objectionable content on your device, even if it has been deleted.
The school thanks constable McFlynn for his time and straight-forward message.
