How can we protect our kids from online predators?

**As statistics show grooming cases have doubled, Lorin LaFave tells how her son, Breck Bednar, 14, was murdered by a monster he met online. **

We all know there's a dark side to the internet, but with more than half of under 10s regularly using social networks and online grooming increasing by almost 50 per cent, it's never been more terrifying.

Disturbingly, 43 per cent of children have messaged strangers online by the age of 12 and six per cent have also met up in person with someone they met on the web.

One woman who knows only too well the dangers of the internet is Lorin LaFave, 48.

Two years ago. in February 2014, her 14-year-old son Breck Bednar was viciously stabbed to death by 18-year-old loner Lewis Daynes after the pair struck up an online 'friendship'.

Daynes has since been sentenced to life with a minimum of 25 years for murder, while Breck's devastated mother Lorin is campaigning for more internet safety awareness.

She says: "Knowing Breck's death could have been prevented is heart-breaking. Anyone can pretend to be something they're not online. I alerted the police to Breck's online friendshipwith Daynes, but nothing was done.

"Since Breck's death I've set up the Breck Foundation to educate people about the dangers online and refer them to support groups. I'd hate any other parent to suffer the pain of losing a child to online grooming.

"Now, I do talks in schools and children thank me because they speak to strangers and don't realise what they've done is unsafe. We teach them to use social media but to keep their virtual friends separate from their real lives."

*Britain's Darkest Taboos: My Teenage Son: Groomed Online And Lured To His Death, 21 Feb, 9pm, CI Channel. *text

**To read the full report, buy Closer magazine, out now. **