Online Safety and Content Management Consultant

Chris is a child protection professional and brings a unique 360 degree perspective on online child safety having worked within the children’s charity, law enforcement and new media industry sectors. Chris was one of the founder members of the UK Children’s Charities Coalition on Internet Safety (CHIS), comprising all the major children’s welfare organisations in the UK.

Chris has also sat on various Government taskforces, including the Bichard Implementation Programme, the Sexual Offences Advisory Committee and the Home Office Task Force on Child Protection and the Internet, to develop Government policy on sexual abuse, child trafficking and online child safety. Chris is a former Non - Industry Executive Board member of the IWF (2004-2007).

In 2005, Chris was seconded by the NSPCC to the Association of Chief Officers of Police to work with Government and the National Crime Squad to help develop a national centre to deal with a range of online offences against children. This was launched in April 2006 as the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP).

Chris recently moved over to industry to set up the safety presence in the UK for Fox Interactive Media/MySpace and establish relationships between MySpace and government, law enforcement and schools to resolve safety and security issues involving MySpace UK users.

Whilst at Fox Interactive Media/MySpace Chris played a key role setting up an industry- wide initiative, working closely with the teacher unions, UK Government and the EU (13 global companies including the social networking services, mobile companies and internet service providers) to provide a website for the school community to help encourage safe and responsible use of the new technologies. See www.teachtoday.eu

Chris is currently provides online safety consultancy on a freelance basis and is a member of UKCISS and also sits on the Video Standards Council. Recent projects include safety training for moderators, development of guidance on the use of social media for the NSPCC/Sport England and national governing sports bodies and revision of the Home Office Good Practice Guidance for the moderation of interactive services for children for UKCISS.