In light of recent events with alleged Facebook Predator William R. Ainsworth, Pennsylvania Attorney General Linda Kelly is taking this opportunity to remind parents and children about Internet safety.
[Attorney General announces criminal charges in elaborate Facebook scam]
Friday, February 10, 2012, in a press release from the Attorney General’s office, Kelly urged parents to be aware of a number of online safety issues that were identified during the investigation of William R. Ainsworth.
Several of the alleged victims in the Ainsworth case indicated that their parents had little or no awareness of their activity on Facebook or did not closely monitor their online communication with others. Many victims regularly accessed Facebook outside their homes, away from any possible oversight by parents, using cell phones and other portable devices.
As the Internet grows, the problem of sexual predators has increased tremendously. The following are statistics on the growing problem:
- The Internet Filter Review, an online publication that is dedicated to protecting children from pornography on the Internet, has estimated that there are 100,000 web sites offering illegal child pornography. They also report that the average age of exposure to Internet pornography is 11-years-old.
- The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children reports that one in five girls and one in ten boys are sexually exploited before they reach adulthood.
- One in five children, ages 10 to 17, received unwanted sexual solicitations online, according to the Youth Internet Safety Survey conducted by the U.S. Department of Justice.
All of the alleged victims had been experiencing stresses at home or school, ranging from parental custody disputes to substance abuse and/or harassment by peers. Those issues appear to have been used by Ainsworth to develop closer online relationships.
Kelly encouraged parents to stress the importance of not sharing personal information online, like full names, ages, addresses, phone numbers and school information. She added that children should always be especially cautious about strangers who approach them online.
She also encouraged parents to take time to closely review how their children are using social networking sites and to monitor their communication with others, especially with young teens who may not yet be sensitive to deceptive or predatory behavior involving online "friends."
Kelly recommended that parents take the time to learn and understand the technology involved in social networking and online communications so they can properly screen these services.
Additionally, Kelly urged parents to frequently discuss Internet safety and security issues with their children, including the importance of telling a trusted adult if someone engages in inappropriate online activity, such as:
- Sexual discussions.
- Sending or requesting nude photos or explicit videos.
- Sending pornography or links to pornographic websites.
- Trying to arrange face-to-face meetings.
Kelly urged parents to use this case as a reason to have serious conversations with their children about online social networking sites like Facebook, especially concerning predators who may manipulate these sites to victimize children.
"It is important to emphasize that the people you meet online may not always be who they say, and may actually be looking for something far more than just 'friendship,'" Kelly said. "The things you say, the photos you post and your other online activities may be twisted against you in a sinister manner."
For more information about Internet safety, please click HERE. Suspected Internet predators can be reported to the Attorney General's Office by using the "Report a Predator" link, located on the front page of the Attorney General's website, at www.attorneygeneral.gov, or by calling the Child Predator Hotline at (800) 385-1044.
Source: Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General
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