PAEDOPHILES are targeting the online dating profiles of Melbourne's single mums to molest their children.
Victorian police said predators had been grooming mums they met through online dating to get at their kids.
Molesters faked a relationship with a lonely woman and got on their good side with homework help, trips and gifts.
The state’s top online child sex crime investigator said many molesters took a long time to lull the mum into a false sense of safety before they attacked their real target.
Internet Child Exploitation Team head Sen-Sgt Rob Ridley said predators sifted women’s dating profiles for children at the desired age and location.
''We’ve had several cases where a child sex offender has used information on social networking sites and targeted their (preferred) age range of victim,’’ Sen-Sgt Ridley said.
''They can trawl through thousands of photos and know where they live and their age and then target them with a false name or identity – a photo of your children may spark that interest.’’
Dating site RSVP reported that each month 1200 Australians form relationships on the site.
Insp Jon Rouse of Queensland’s Taskforce Argos said parents felt pressure to declare their kids on dating sites.
''They don’t want to be misleading, but our advice is to lock down your profile.''