Child Internet Safety

Internet predators continue to multiply

2009-03-26T09:51:00.000-07:00

Despite the publicity then and now, the bad guys haven't gone away

MADISON, Wis. - Eric Szatkowski is a Wisconsin Justice Department special agent, but on that Sunday afternoon he entered an online chat room as a 14-year-old boy.

He claimed he was into weightlifting, AC/DC and muscle magazines. Then he waited.

Within hours, screen name Paul2u sent a message: "Hi. u realy 14?"

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National PSA campaign targets Internet sex predators

2008-12-12T19:30:00.000-08:00

National PSA campaign targets Internet sex predators
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On the web | Project Safe Childhood homepage BY JAY WEAVER
jweaver@MiamiHerald.com
If you've ever wondered whether the universe of Internet sexual predators is expanding, consider these stats:

Nationwide, federal prosecutors have indicted 2,289 defendants in online child solicitation and pornography cases this year -- up 33 percent over 2006.

In South Florida, the U.S. attorney's office has nearly doubled its prosecutions of underage cyber sex crimes over the same period, indicting 81 defendants.

U.S. Attorney R. Alexander Acosta on Tuesday cited those alarming numbers as he announced the launch of English and Spanish public service announcements to raise awareness among parents about the threat of online sexual predators to children.

''If you're scared, you should be,'' Acosta said, flanked by senior federal officials from the Justice Department. ``It's a very serious, serious issue.''
See Full Story

How Much More do we have to see these numbers continue to climb. It seems nobody is even aware of the dangers. It seems to be that parents feel that everybody is doing it so it must be O.K. Children are inhibited on the internet and they need parenting.

To see reviews of Internet Monitoring Software visit Visit wwww.MonitoringSoftwareOnline.com.

These numbers should not be going up. They should be going down. It Is becoming a virtual playground for sexual predators on the internet.

Officials warn parents of online predators

2008-11-29T18:43:00.000-08:00

By Jamie Rogers
Morning News Reporter
Published: November 29, 2008

Children might be targets for online predators but authorities who arrest sex offenders say it’s the adults who are responsible for protecting their children from becoming online prey.

Florence County deputy Scotty Dangerfield, a sex offender registry investigator, said children as young as 10 have been victimized online by adults.

As many as one in seven children receive a sexual solicitation online each year, according to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.

“We do have cases of that nature that happen here in Florence County,” Dangerfield said. “Sometimes the suspects are actually within this county, and sometimes they could actually be residing anywhere in the world, really.”

When communicating with someone online, you don’t know where they are — they could tell you they’re in another state or another area and actually be on the next street, he said.

A person commits the offense of criminal solicitation of a minor when he communicates with someone younger than 18 in an attempt to persuade them to participate in sexual activity. Full Story

Facebook predator

2008-11-29T18:25:00.001-08:00

Convicted sex offender allegedly tried to lure 11-year-old N.S. boy to Ontario
By MICHAEL LIGHTSTONE Staff Reporter

A Halifax mom is telling a cautionary tale about Internet luring and protecting children from computer-savvy sexual predators.

The woman said Thursday her 11-year-old son was using Facebook, the online social networking site, last month and was contacted by someone who allegedly turned out to be a convicted sex offender.

She said her boy received an inappropriate email from the man, alleged to be Brendon James MacNeill of Mississauga, Ont., saying he could arrange a flight for him to southern Ontario and a hotel room. Full Story

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Pa. official warns student, parents of Internet's pitfalls

2008-11-17T09:57:00.000-08:00

She walked out of her home on a cold winter's day to meet a stranger whom she only knew online.

For months, Kozakiewicz said she chatted online and shared pictures with "Christine," someone she thought was a girl her age - until she discovered who she felt had grown to become her best friend was actually an older man.

Now 20-years-old, Kozakiewicz, a native of the Crafton Heights, continues to struggle to fill an empty void after being tortured, raped and chained to the floor of the Virginia town house of Scott Tyree, a computer programmer from Herndon, Va.
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She was lucky enough to survive her ordeal. Children must understand that they might not be talking who they think while on the internet. The problem is that children become inhibited on the internet. Parental Control Software allows Parents to see what your child is doing online. For reviews of the top Parental Control Software Visit www.MonitoringSoftwareOnline.com

Two men charged with Internet predation

2008-11-17T09:54:00.000-08:00

Attorney General Tom Corbett said agents from the Attorney General's Child Predator Unit arrested two Clearfield County men last week and accused both of using the Internet to sexually proposition what they believed were 13-year old girls, as well as sending sexually explicit webcam videos. The "girls" were actually undercover agents from the Child Predator Unit who were using the online profiles of children.
The defendants as Michael Shawn Whelpley, 38, 181 Mockingbird Lane, Brockway, and Randall Scott Luzier, 30, 314 Little Clearfield Creek Road, Olanta.Full Story

DOJ : Too Many Internet Predators, Not Enough Resources

2008-11-08T09:57:00.000-08:00

Child predators, online and unaware they are being tracked. The Internet Crime Against Children Task Force released a map that shows more than 22,000 unique IP addresses where images known, or suspected to be child pornography have changed hands since the beginning of this year. "That's a lot of dots. It's very frightening to know this is going on in our community," said Sara Born, an Appleton parent.Full Story

This is going on in communities everywhere. there just isn't enough reources to stop internet predators. That is why we need more computer parental control. Parenting in this technological age must be done online and offline. To see reviews of Parental Control Software
Visit www.monitoringsoftwareonline.com!

Protecting Children on the Net

2008-11-05T06:06:00.001-08:00

Today kids love getting on the web. They meet new people, find interesting information, enjoy great games, and more. However, a lot of children don't really know how dangerous the Internet can be. As parents, it's important that we protect our kids. So, here's a look at dangers on the net, some steps to protecting kids online, and why software can be a top protective method to use in your home.

The Dangers on the Net for Kids
You'll find that there are many different dangers on the net for kids today. In fact, you may not even be aware of them. Here are five of the top dangers you need to be aware of.

- Danger #1 - Malware - Malware essentially refers to malicious software, such as viruses, adware, Trojans, and adloaders. These can cause harm to your computer and in some cases allow people to get hold of your sensitive information. Many kids accidently download it or go to sites that put it on your computer.

- Danger #2 - Identity Theft - Sometimes kids respond to phishing scams or even give out private information. This can set them up for identity theft.

- Danger #3 - Content Inappropriate for Kids - There is a huge amount of inappropriate content on the web and it's easy for kids to get to it. The last thing you want is your kids stumbling across nasty porn or graphic violence on the web.

- Danger #4 - Online Bullying - Online bullying is more common than many people realize. In some cases it has led to depression and even suicide. You don't want your child to be a victim of it or to engage in it either.

- Danger #5 - Online Predators - This is the nightmare of every parent. There are many online predators out there that try to get involved in the lives of kids. Some stalk them, blackmail them, kidnap them, or worse.

Steps to Protecting Kids Online
Now that you realize some of the dangers on the net for your kids, it's time to start protecting them. Here are some simple steps to help you keep your children protected from the dangers of the internet.

- Step #1 - Warn Your Children - First of all, you need to make sure that you warn your kids of the dangers on the web. Sit down and talk to them about dangers that can occur so they can be prepared. Let them know things to look out for on the web.

- Step #2 - Keep Communication Open - Keep the communication open between you and your kids. Talk about what they do on the internet and stay involved in their lives. Make sure they feel comfortable talking with you if something negative occurs online.

- Step #3 - Set Some Ground Rules - Set some ground rules for computer use. Give them a limited time online and restrict sites that they are allowed to visit.

- Step #4 - Have the Computer in a Public Place in Your Home - Kids shouldn't be closed up in their room on the computer. This can breed secrecy and distrust. The computer should be located in a public area in the home where you can monitor what is going on when your child is online.

- Step #5 - Monitor What Your Kids are Doing on the Web - It's not snooping. You should be checking out the sites your kids are visiting online. This way you know what is going and can ensure that they are not going places that could endanger them on the net.

Software - A Top Protective Method
Probably one of the most important things that you can do to keep your kids safe on the net is to install some type of internet protection software such as Net Nanny or PC Tattle Tale. The right software can allow you to set up parental controls on the computer so you can block content altogether that may be harmful for your children. Good software can also help you to more closely monitor what your child is doing online, such as the sites that they are visiting and what they are doing on these sites.

It's imperative that you work to keep your children safe online. The net is a great tool, but it must be used carefully when it comes to your kids. Take the steps listed and start using them. Invest in some great software as well. Together they will help you to make sure that your kids enjoy their time online and that they don't become victims.

This article was written by Tony Hilton of Fix-this-computer.com to help parents everywhere protect their kids online.

Online predators on the rise

2008-11-02T14:37:00.000-08:00

Internet predators are on the rise, says Attorney General Tom Corbett.

“Time and distance mean nothing to Internet predators because computer technology allows them to reach across the street, or across the country, to ‘groom’ young victims for sexual meetings or to flood their computers with explicit webcam videos, sexually graphic pictures or illegal child pornography.

“The number of predators we have been able to identify and arrest has been growing rapidly, and it is vital that parents and children understand this threat,” he said in a recent press release. Full Story

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Today Kicks Off Stop Internet Predators Awareness Week

2008-10-27T12:29:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON, Oct 27, 2008 /PRNewswire-USNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Child Safety Coalition focuses efforts to protect the safety and security of children during the last week of October, Cyber Security Awareness Month
Today marks the beginning of Stop Internet Predators Week, the last week of Cyber Security Awareness Month, as part of a new campaign by Stop Child Predators to raise awareness nationwide about emerging technologies that threaten the safety and security of children.

Parental Monitoring Software Online will help you to monitor your kids online so that you know they are safe from internet predators. Go to www.monitoringsoftwareonline.com for more information.

Online Sex Prowlers Meet the Law

2008-10-17T06:00:00.000-07:00

By TAMMY VIGIL

GOLDEN - We all know predators scour for victims online. Now, they've found an easier way to get to your kids.

It should be a big concern because investigators say the number of predators online is increasing.

In four years, agents with Child Sex Offender Internet Investigations out of the Jefferson County District Attorney’s office arrested 200 sexual predators.

Typically, I use the computer for homework assignments," says 13-year-old Taylor Floming. She also checks her e-mail. But she stays away from where internet predators hide.

"I don't typically go on to chat rooms. My parents don't allow me to do that. And I don't have a MySpace or Facebook account, she says.

"I go anywhere kids go. I hang out in online game rooms. Online game rooms are very popular with online sex offenders," says Mike Harris, lead investigator of Child Sex Offender Internet Investigations or CHEEZO.

But, he poses as 30 different underage girls. "I have a couple of pictures of me, allegedly of me, as a 13-year-old in a bikini," he says. "Bad guys do exactly what I do to trick kids. They do it for a different purpose." Full Story

Everyday we keep seeing more and more of these stories suggesting that the number of internet predators is going up. It is impossible for police to monitor the entire internet. It is imperitive for parents to be involved in Child Internet Safety.

We have put together an information website on Internet Safety and reviews of the best Internet Monitoring Software. Visit his website at www.monitoringsoftwareonline.com

Abbott wants online predator registry expanded

2008-10-17T05:54:00.000-07:00

AG would add offenders' e-mail address, Web ID
By LISA SANDBERG Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle Austin Bureau

AUSTIN — Aiming to crack down on cyber-predators, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott on Wednesday said he wants to expand the state sex offender registry to include e-mail addresses and Internet screen names.

"Parents could check all the e-mail addresses sent to and from their children's computer to find out if their children are communicating with a sex offender," Abbott said. He said his proposal would provide Texans with the "most comprehensive reporting requirements in the country" and said it would provide law enforcement, and ultimately the public, "with new and better tools to track and monitor sex offenders."

In Texas, there are some 53,000 registered sex offenders.

The attorney general's plan would need the Legislature's approval. Abbott said he planned to meet with lawmakers in the coming weeks.

Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston, chair of the Senate Criminal Justice Committee, said
Full Story..

Safe Surfin'

2008-10-14T08:30:00.000-07:00

Safe Surfin'
Margliano teaching parents how to keep kids safe on Internet

By Jeanne Millsap
Herald Correspondent

CHANNNAHON - Even the most well-behaved, technology-savvy kid can be fooled into hooking up with a sexual predator on the Internet, according to Detective Sergeant Dave Margliano, chief investigator of the Computer Crimes Unit in the Will County State's Attorney's office.

There are predators out there who live to sway a child or teenager to meet with them or to run away with them or even to send them compromising photos.

“They even have their own chat rooms,” Margliano said, “where they tell each other what to say to the kids online to get them to come around. They converse with each other about their victories and their conquests.

“There are Internet predators out there who will take advantage of your children no matter how intelligent or savvy your children are.” Full Story ..

All schools around the country should be taking a proactive solution like this school having people come in and educate parents about child internet safety.For reviews of Internet monitoring software visit Visit www.monitoringsoftwareonline.com

Bush Signs Two Online Predator Bills Into Law

2008-10-14T08:23:00.000-07:00

President Bush signed into law two bills that will make it much harder for child molesters to lurk with anonymity on the Web, especially at social networking sites. The new law, called the "Keeping the Internet Devoid of Sexual Predators Act of 2008" or the "KIDS Act of 2008," requires registered sex offenders to provide "Internet identifiers", including e-mail addresses, to state sex offender registries. Those identifiers will also be used by social networking sites (presumably at the request of authorities) to identify suspect users at the National Sex Offender Registry.Full Story

This is an important step for Child Internet Safety lets hope we continue to see more resources to protect our children online.

National Cyber Security Awareness Month

2008-10-11T10:11:00.000-07:00

October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month so we are gonna reiterate some internet safety points. Communicate with your kid often without fear of punishment about what they see and read while on the internet. Try to keep the computer out of bedrooms and in an open room. Use Parental Control Software to monitor what they are doing while using the internet. This will block inappropiate content and allow you to randomally make sure they are following proper safety rules.

DPD arrests online predator

2008-10-08T12:53:00.000-07:00

Imagine your 14-year-old child or grandchild going online to chat on Facebook or MySpace or some other public forum or chatroom. They meet someone who seems pretty cool, kind of interesting, who is interested in them. The conversations get more personal, and soon the other person is sending inappropriate photos or even asking the teenager to meet someplace to get closer.
Sometimes the other person — an adult — is up front about his age, but often, he hides behind a false age, saying he is 15 or 16, and your teenager doesn’t learn the truth until it is too late.
That happens often, as seen on the NBC program series “Dateline NBC: To Catch a Predator,” but while it may seem to happen “somewhere else,” the truth is that it happens anywhere and everywhere, and any child — boy or girl — is a potential victim of an online predator. Full Story

Child Safety Coalition Announces Stop Internet Predators Awareness Week

2008-10-02T13:24:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON, Oct 01, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- During the last week of October, Cyber Security Awareness Month, campaign will focus efforts to protect the safety and security of children
WASHINGTON, Oct. 1 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today Stop Child Predators announced that the final week in October - which is already designated Cyber Security Awareness Month - will be Stop Internet Predators Awareness Week, as part of a new campaign to raise awareness nationwide about emerging technologies that threaten the safety and security of children. Full Story..

NFdL police launch a MySpace page

2008-09-29T07:27:00.000-07:00

The North Fond du Lac Police Department has launched its own MySpace page in an effort to keep kids safe.The use of a MySpace page will provide the Police Department with a new way to communicate with young people in a setting where they are spending more time. Police noted that children have moved from neighborhood parks to "cyber" playgrounds.

According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, one in seven youths ages 10 to 17 are solicited or approached by a sexual predator while online.
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Internet Monitoring Software will allow you to see what your child is doing while on the internet.

TV host drives home dangers of Internet

2008-09-26T07:35:00.000-07:00

BY BENJAMIN DUER

PLAIN TWP. Preying on today's youth — your kids — are adults that use the Internet to feed their sex drives.

Their stories have been told countless times; you've seen them on TV or read them in the newspaper.

And these adults may never quit trying to solicit minors for sexual encounters, said "Dateline NBC" correspondent Chris Hansen on Thursday.

Hansen, host of "To Catch a Predator," was guest speaker at the 2008 Women's Board of Aultman Hospital Care Connection program.

About 2,000 people attended the free event was held at First Christian Church in Plain Township.

Hansen told behind-the-scenes stories of his television specials, "To Catch a Predator," and his thoughts on Internet safety.

Massillon police detective Bobby Grizzard also shared his experiences with Internet sex crimes.

Grizzard said the Internet is a "target-rich" environment, with true predators trying to hook children into sexual encounters.

"Your kids are the bait — and your kids are the next meal," he told a captivated audience, many of whom shook their heads in disgust by the vivid accounts of his past cases.

Hansen told parents to teach their children not to talk to strangers online, as well as on the streets.

"These folks are not always who they say they are," said Hansen, author of "To Catch a Predator: Protecting Kids from Online Enemies Already in Your Home."

He said the answer is not to take away computers, but to monitor your child's activities online more closely.

He said children are less likely to tell their parents they've been solicited online if they feel they'll lose the computer.

One way to keep track of your son or daughter's online behavior is to install "keystroke" software on the computer, Hansen said. Such software records computer activity, which allows parents to review it later with a touch of keystroke. He said it records chats, Web sites, files, etc.

Jackson Township resident Bernadine Wade found this tidbit of information very helpful for her family.

"I don't know that much about computers," she said after the event.

Darlene Violet, chairwoman for the Women's Board of Aultman Hospital's Care Connection annual event, said it was important for the community to hear from Hansen and Grizzard.

"We really wanted to do something to help get the message out to the parents," she said.

PARENTAL TIPS

-- Put the family computer in an open area of your house; this allows you to monitor child's online actions.

-- Establish clear rules for Internet use and set time limits.

-- Spend time with your children while they're online.

-- Talk about what makes a Web site good or bad.

-- Buy Internet filtering software.

-- Make sure your child knows not everyone online is who they appear or pretend to be.

-- Teach your children to never send photographs over the Internet.

-- Teach your children not to give personal information, including passwords or real names, on the Internet.

-- Tell children to let you know if they feel scared when online, whether they receive a scary e-mail or message.

-- Teach them to never accept an invitation to go into a private chat room.

-- Teach your kids to never accept an Instant Message (IM) from a stranger or agree to meet with someone they met online.

Source: The Women's Board of Aultman Hospital

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Sailor Indicted in Online Sex Sting

2008-09-25T06:32:00.000-07:00

JACKSONVILLE, FL -- A Jacksonville sailor has been indicted on federal charges of online sex crimes against a minor.

30-year-old Robert William Godwin was arrested after arranging to meet and have sex with an investigator posing as a 14-year-old girl.

This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a program led by the United States Attorneys Offices to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, and to identify and rescue victims. Full Story

Agencies take aim at online predators

2008-09-24T06:45:00.000-07:00

Cooperation between law-enforcement agencies is essential in the fight against online sexual predators, the U.S. attorney general said yesterday at a national conference in Columbus.

Michael Mukasey, speaking to more than 1,400 people in the Hyatt Regency Ballroom, announced the signing of an agreement between four federal agencies to share criminal intelligence on child predators. Full Story

Pedophiles Hide Behind Games, Chats

2008-09-24T06:40:00.000-07:00

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- A local summit draws national attention as leaders work to keep your children safe while they're online.You want protect your children. You teach them about the stranger at the playground or what could happen on the walk home from school, right?Full Story

Cyber Safety

2008-09-18T11:25:00.000-07:00

Florida’s Attorney General is enlisting school resource officers in the fight against child predators. Five hundred resource officers have received training in the AG’s CyberSafety Education program. The goal is to train officers how to keep students from meeting sexual predators online.

Attorney General Bill McCollum is asking school resource officers statewide to keep sexual predators from meeting your kids. Jamie Meeks of the Florida Association of Resource Officers says the officers are answering the call with a message to predators Full Story

Expert offers online safety tips

2008-09-09T06:42:00.000-07:00

Urges parents to be aware of what their children are doing on the Internet

One local woman during this back-to-school season is reminding children, teens and adults about the Internet's dangers.

Jayne Hitchcock, president of Working to Halt Online Abuse and the Working to Halt Online Abuse-Kids/Teens Division, teaches people how to protect themselves from stalking, harassment and solicitation over the Internet.

She is also a cybercrime expert who trains law enforcement officials and assists the U.S. Department of Justice Office for Victims of Crime and the National Center for Victims of Crime. ..Full Story

Mr. Met pitches kid net safety

2008-09-04T06:43:00.000-07:00

Advocates trying to warn kids about the threat of online sexual predators trolling the Internet have a new ally - Mr. Met.

The mascot has been recruited to get the word out at the first-ever Internet Safety Day at Shea Stadium. The event kicks off before the 3:30 p.m. home game against the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday.

The program is part of a two-year, federally funded project by a task force from the U.S. Attorney in Brooklyn, with help from the Queens District Attorney's office and sponsor Time Warner Cable.

Their mission is to end online sexual exploitation of kids - by teaching youngsters about safety in a way they'll pay attention to. Full Story

It is good to see a profesional sports team getting involved with not only educating children but also educating parents about internet safety. It is just to vast for police forces to do alone.We must keep educating children on internet safety.While the internet is mostly safe there is a very dangerous element also. Kids become inhibited on the internet they must understand that it is just as dangerous talking to strangers on the internet as talking to strangers in real life. Monitor what your child is doing online.

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