u/Fair-Science-665

I spent 22 years in the RAF Police. The last eight were in Digital Forensics and Incident Response, going through devices, building cases, giving evidence in child sexual abuse investigations. No counselling. No psychological support. Nobody talked about it and you certainly didn't admit it was getting to you.

I was medically discharged in 2019 with Complex PTSD.

It took a long time to work out what to do next. What I landed on was Cyber Safety Guy, a child online safety platform for parents, teachers and safeguarding professionals. Every penny from subscriptions goes to Childline. That bit's non-negotiable for me as I don't do this to earn a wage.

The questions I get asked most are things I genuinely know the answers to from the inside. How grooming actually works, why parents miss the signs, what the platforms know and aren't telling you, why the Online Safety Act matters, and why neurodivergent kids are disproportionately targeted online.

I'll also talk about C-PTSD from investigative trauma if anyone wants to go there, It's still not talked about enough.

Verification: https://postimg.cc/xNXZH15X

Ask me anything.

I spent 22 years in the RAF Police, the last eight investigating digital crimes, including child sexual abuse material. No counselling, no support. I was medically discharged with C-PTSD in 2019.

The question I get asked most, from parents, teachers, even other professionals, is this: "How do I know if my child is talking to someone dangerous online?"

And here's the brutal truth, you often can't tell. Not directly. Not by checking their phone when they're asleep.

The only reliable signal is whether your child feels safe enough to come to you when something feels wrong. Predators bank on that gap. They spend weeks, sometimes months, making a child feel understood, special, and certain that telling a parent would ruin everything.

So instead of asking "how do I catch them," ask "would my child tell me?"

If the honest answer is no, that's where to start. Not with parental controls. Not with screen time limits. With the conversation.

Happy to answer any questions, this is what I do now to help protect children from the darkness many people don't understand.

I am a former RAF Police Digital Forensics officer who spent 8 years investigating CSAM cases with zero psychological support. I was medically discharged with C-PTSD in 2019. Now I run a child online safety platform and give everything to Childline. AMA.

Former RAF Police DFIR. The online safety question I get asked most by parents is also the most dangerous one to get wrong.