A former child abuse detective has exposed two subtle but sinister tactics predators use to get close to children, warning that it's not just the kids being groomed - it's the adults too.
Kristi McVee, who spent a decade as a senior detective with the Western Australia Police Force specialising in child abuse, says parents are often unknowingly the first target in a predator's plan.
Ms McVee has founded Child Abuse Prevention and Education Australia (CAPE) and is on a mission to educate parents about the grooming tactics she witnessed during years of harrowing frontline work.
'There are two things child sex offenders do to groom adults so they can get close to kids,' she told viewers in a video last month.
'Number one, they want you to like them. Number two, they need you to trust them.'
