VANCOUVER -- In an advisory to parents to monitor online activity, Mounties in Surrey say reports relating to child pornography have increased over the last three years.

The RCMP said there were 55 reports filed in 2017, compared with 122 reported last year.

Additionally, the number of child luring reports has remained "persistent" over the same time period, Mounties said in a statement Thursday.

There were 19 reports in 2017, 16 reports the next year, and 18 last year.

The RCMP says the process of luring can start through online games.

“Many of these game consoles and apps actually have chat features in them, and predators often pose as children to befriend kids online,” said Surrey RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Elenore Sturko. “(The predators) earn the trust and friendship of your child; they encourage them to download other apps where photographs or video sharing is possible.”

Bonnie Leadbeater is a Psychology Professor with the University of Victoria. She’s worked with children who have become victims.

“I actually have seen kids who have been groomed, in therapy,” Leadbeater said. “People pose as friends and gradually get to know you and gradually start to ask you to do things that you would be uncomfortable with. Some kids feel for a long time that this person had their back, that this was their friend.”

She says the most important thing is for parents to be involved in what children are doing on the internet.

“It’s really important that you don’t set up this expectation of privacy in very young children, probably by the time they’re 14 they’re going to want their own space, but early privacy I think is a bit of a danger while people are learning how to use this,” she said. “There are strangers on the internet and you don't want to interact with people you don’t know.”

That message also echoed by the RCMP.

“We don’t want to scare people, but parents have to be aware that (they should be) having conversations with kids, setting limits, letting kids know that you want to be aware of any types of communications they’re having, even with friends over gaming consoles or internet apps, and also be aware what is your kid downloading,” Sturko said.

She says the message is even more important given how much time kids are spending on the internet during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Unfortunately, right now, with the increase of screen time and the use of apps that we have there could be more cases, more instances of victimization,” Sturko said.

Tips from the RCMP include letting children know they can speak to their parent or guardian if they feel uncomfortable with an interaction, or regret sharing an image or video online.

Parents can also set up "sharing" between cellphones, computers and other devices so they can see the family's photos and videos.

The RCMP advises parents keep an eye on what apps children have downloaded, and to monitor games played with strangers online and through video game consoles.

Any suspicious activity should be reported to police.

The RCMP also offered the following resources:

  • If a sexual picture or video was shared online, there's more information on what to do on NeedHelpNow.ca.
  • Sign up for Cybertip.ca alerts to get information on trends, including new apps, messaging and chat features, and more.
  • Report suspicious activity to the Surrey RCMP at 604-599-0502, or online at CyberTip.ca.
  • Want to start a conversation, but not sure how? There are tips on ProtectKidsOnline.ca.