JACKSONVILLE, Florida. – No conversation may be more important than the one about the dangers of online predators and how your child’s pictures and information could fall into the wrong hands.
The FBI wants parents to know what apps their children are using and who they are communicating with.
“These kids either think they know who the subject is, or it’s a friend of theirs, or they don’t, and they’ll eventually trick them into sending them these photos,” said Assistant Special Agent David Collins.
For you as a parent, this is the worst case scenario.
“You need to know what platforms and social media your children are accessing. You need to look after your children and make them aware of the risk of communicating with others online and sending pictures or videos to people they know or don’t know,” Collins said.
There are many apps used by students and teenagers, and there are also many sex offenders who use these apps.
FBI agents said the threats often go unnoticed by parents.
“Unfortunately, most parents don’t realize this. Parents are on their devices just as much. We live in a world where there is this disconnect that didn’t exist before. So parents are on their phones just as much as their kids and they’re not really paying attention to the threats that kids are facing.
Assistant Special Agent in Charge David Collins says there are sex offenders everywhere, so don’t post anything online that reveals who you are or where you are, or send pictures of you without clothes on.
Overall, don’t make yourself vulnerable, and if it does happen, don’t hide it.
“Some children feel like they are to blame or will get in trouble for sending these explicit photos or videos to these people. Children just need to know that they are not to blame. Children are a vulnerable group in our society and easily manipulated,” he said.
The FBI has launched an entire campaign called “Stop Sextortion” aimed at teaching children how to avoid risky situations.
There is also an online game where students can select their grade level and learn important safety information and self-confidence tips as they play.
“We have a number of resources on our website. One of them is ‘Think Before You Post.’ It just reminds kids that they need to do that. They need to think before they post or share content about themselves. And then we have another one for younger kids between third and eighth grade,” Collins said. “It’s a resource for them. And then we also have a Be Smart program that we share with the different school boards. Our school districts in our area where we bring in our subject matter experts,” Collins said.
“It’s about not only educating the children, but more importantly, educating the parents so they know what to look out for,” he said.
Agents recommend that if you are contacted, you call the police or contact the FBI in Jacksonville, which can be done online.
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