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PARENTS and young people have been warned to be wary of the darker side of social networking sites.

Parents hosting parties have also been urged to ensure young people are supervised and can get home safely.

The warnings follow the arrest of four people in relation to an alleged sexual assault of a girl aged under 16 earlier this year.

Footage of the alleged incident was uploaded on to social networking sites.

A Werribee girl, 16, a Bundoora boy, 16, a Glenroy man, 19, and an Altona Meadows man, 20, were taken into custody last Tuesday.

All were released pending summons and will appear in court at a later date.

It is expected they will be charged with sexual penetration of a child under 16, as well as making and distributing child pornography.

Footscray Sexual Offences and Child Abuse detective Sen-Sgt Jenny Wilson reminded parents and young people of the dangers posed by social networking sites.

The power of the internet when used in negative ways can do untold damage to individuals, ruin reputations and have a life-long impact on employment prospects, she said.

She urged parents to talk to their children about the positive and negative aspects of the internet, to monitor its use and content and advise young people about what was appropriate to post.

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