Criminologist shares warning on how parents can protect children from sex offenders

A former senior detective and criminal behavioural analyst has outlined how parents can protect their children from sex offenders who might be hiding in plain sight.

Dr Graham Hill, who has spent decades investigating serious crimes and studying the behaviour of high-risk offenders, sat down with LADBible Stories to discuss what he’s learned over the years in his career.

He’s worked on numerous high-profile criminal cases, including the Madeleine McCann investigation, the arrest and conviction of child sex offender and murderer Brian Field, and the abduction and murder of Milly Dowler.

When quizzed about how parents can keep their children safe from predators, he explained: “Well, I mean, it's like anything in, in this world, knowledge is power.

“You know, if you understand a little bit about the way sex offenders work, you understand some of the red flags. You understand that if you are gonna put your child into a swim coach or a new trampolining coach or sports coach, then your job, I believe is to go and ask some difficult questions.”

Dr Graham Hill has issued his advice on how the measures parents can take to protect their children (YouTube/LADBible Stories)

Dr Hill advises going to speak to the person to ‘form your own opinion’ - ask where they’ve worked before, as well as quizzing the club on what vetting has been done.

The expert urged: “You should have a relationship with you and your child where, and I know this is easy for me to say, where you are can be as open and as honest.

“And you say to your child, if it feels odd, if there's something you are not happy with, let's talk about it. Tell someone, because nine times outta 10 what children don't know, they, they suspect something's going on.”

He explained: “They know something's not right, they just feel uncomfortable around this person, but they dunno what to say or how to say it.

“So for me, child protection is really about the relationship you have with your child. And hopefully, it's an honest and open relationship where you can talk about things.”

The criminologist explained that child protection ‘starts at home,’ despite it being difficult for the general public to know what to do.

He recalled: “Now I've trained child protection officers up and down the length of the country. And often I say to the child protection officers, police officers, social workers, often I say to them, okay, raise your hand if you've got a child who goes to an after-school sports club.

“And nearly everyone in the audience has got kids raise his hand. And then I say, bearing in mind these are child protection officers, how many of you have asked some questions of this, of the particular coach that's coaching your child?"

Dr Hull admitted, “And almost no one raises their hand.”

The expert pointed out: “So if their child protection officers are not doing that, how can you expect the general public not to do it? But ultimately, you know, child protection starts at home.”

You can watch the full interview with Dr Hill on the LADBible Stories YouTube channel.

If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence regarding the welfare of a child, contact the NSPCC on 0808 800 5000, 10am-8pm Monday to Friday. If you are a child seeking advice and support, call Childline for free on 0800 1111, 24/7.