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Home and Away Actress, Courtney Miller, hopes her character’s latest dilemma on Home and Away acts as a cautionary tale for all their young fans.

Courtney plays Colby’s (Tim Franklin) rebellious teenage sister Bella, who strikes up an online friendship with the mysterious Tommy (played by Perth-born, WAAPA- trained actor Adam Sollis).

Having met on an online student forum, Bella is led to believe that Tommy is her age but later finds out he is a 25-year-old teacher.

Tommy soon revealed his manipulative side when he convinced Bella to blow off Jasmine and Robbo’s wedding to sneak out and meet him, shares The West Australia.

But when he turns up at her doorstep unannounced, things take a sinister turn.

“I really wanted to do this story because I think it’s very powerful and can connect with a lot of people,” Courtney says. “At first I was thinking (Tommy) would be a bit older, that he would be an older man, but really it connects more so that he is young.

“I think it will affect a lot of people, positively I hope. I hope it sparks conversation and I think it will very much go into everyone’s homes and I’m sure many people have been affected by it.”

Courtney shared how filming the emotionally charged and at times physical scenes was an intense experience.

“I didn’t know, physically, how to do it,” she explains. “When I met Adam, who plays Tommy, he is a beautiful person, very soft centred, and it was quite a juxtaposition between him and Tommy because they’re completely different.

“The more more we (rehearsed), the more comfortable it became and the more truth I felt I could give to it.”

Know the signs!

Home and Away have shared some important information to help teens know the signs of an online groomer to help prevent a situation like Bella’s. Watch below…

Have you ever been caught out by someone online pretending to be someone they weren’t?

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  • While the Home and Away storyline seems a bit far fetched, sadly it happens all too easily and to way too many of our kids

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  • Such important messages.

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  • This was such a necessary topic on Home and Away. Teens and pre teens do way too much on the internet, share too much information. This story is a great warning as to what can happen

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  • Definitely an important issue to address. Hopefully it helps some of the teenagers watching the show.

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  • very scary and important to know

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  • Certainly an important message, and an issue that anyone can end up with. There are all types of predators online, targeting different ages, genders, people with wealth etc., but the message is the same; be careful and know how to spot them. I’ve found a few people not to be who they said they were online. One I met in person (almost a decade ago) and found out later that he wasn’t who he said. He wasn’t bad or anything just creepy. I don’t trust most people on the internet now.

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  • Hopefully it gets the message across in way that kids will take it on board. Parents need to watch it with their kids and then reinforce the message

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  • An important story-line. Hope it does some good.

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  • I know of a girl who met a guy on-line. They met up and he took her to a secluded area. Besides raping her, he basically tortured her before killing her. To the best of my knowledge at least one Police Station has photos they can show to others at risk (with identity, name etc.) blanked out.

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  • It is good to make teens aware of the dangers out their. Television is one way to do it.

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  • I have watched Home and Away since the beginning and whilst I have questioned some of it’s storylines this one is innovative. If it can educate and just stop one young person from being in danger through the Internet it is a good thing. Well done to the Producers.

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  • A very important message to spread and Home & Away is so popular with teens, it should get the message to many.

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  • A good read! good to be aware!

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  • I never watch television so haven’t seen Home and Away, but seems an important message.

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  • Never watched this show

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  • Home and Away is one of my all time faves. I felt so anxious watching that episode but definitely good for people to be aware of the dangers online.

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  • Some very important messages.

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  • A great story line on cyber safety and how people are not always what they seem.

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  • A good storyline to try and get across to younger kids, and to highlight the danger of the internet

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  • Wow, not the first time they have taken on difficult and controversial story lines. I’m glad they do though, I remember one particular story hit me hard, but it also helped me to take positive steps in my life.

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