Officials warn parents of online predators

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

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

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.
Full Story


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

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

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

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

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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