This number makes me sick. The FBI says 90% of sexual advances against kids happen in chatrooms or on instant messaging platforms. Now more than ever, it’s important to talk to your kids about online predators.
The thing is these creeps have all kinds of tactics. Today, I’m sharing a few stories you can pass along to your family. If this keeps one person safe, I did my job.
This past week in Glendale, Arizona, a 37-year-old man asked a 14-year-old girl walking home from school for her phone number. She was clever: She gave him her mom’s number instead.
Later that day, he started texting. The girl’s mother answered, and then the police took over as he requested naked pics and asked her to keep their convo a secret. They set up a meeting, and the pervert was arrested.
Arm them with info. Discuss with your kids how to refuse when a stranger asks for their phone number, email address or social media handle. If they don’t feel safe saying no, tell them to give the requestor your info instead.
A 26-year-old used Snapchat and Instagram to groom teen girls. Alexander McCartney pretended to be their age, then he spent a lot of time and energy becoming a close “friend.” Eventually, he’d request explicit images.
Tragically, a 12-year-old victim took her life after McCartney coerced her and her sister into sending him adult photos. Eighteen months later, the victim’s father took his life, as well. Heartbreaking.
McCartney was found guilty of a staggering 185 charges, including online child sexual abuse, blackmail and manslaughter.
Warn your kids about catfishing. Online, it’s easy for predators to pretend to be just about anyone to get what they want. When my son, Ian, was younger (and to this day), I made sure he knew he’d never, ever be in trouble if he told me someone asked him to do something that made him feel uncomfortable or unsafe.
Kids are often more intelligent than we realize. And their advanced knowledge of technology makes it easy for them to hide things from you. Tap or click here to see how kids are getting around parental controls.
Even though many teens think they are mature enough to know what’s right, they don’t. And as a parent, keeping them safe is your number one job.
Open/download audioOnline dating is a minefield. I’m not talking about awkward hellos, mixed signals or ghosting. I’m talking sexual predators that lurk in online dating and “hookup” apps, looking for their next victim. Now the government is stepping in to find out how protected users really are.
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Character AI grooms children: Take “Anderley,” a bot described in its profile as having pedophilic and abusive tendencies. When told it’s talking to a 15-year-old girl, Anderley says, “You are quite mature for your age,” asks, “Are you a virgin?” and, like a real predator, urges you to keep the conversation a secret. Make sure your kids don’t download this abhorrent app.
Of all the scams floating around on the web, sextortion scams are some of the scariest to deal with. When a hacker claims to have intimate photos of you and threatens to post them online, it feels like a total violation of your rights. Thankfully, for the most part, these scams are nothing but bluster.
Regardless of your age or interests, there’s something on social media for everyone. If you’re big on friends and don’t care about privacy, Facebook is the place to be. If you take lots of photos and like jealousy, Instagram is the way to go. And if you love being yelled at by strangers, you can’t go wrong with Twitter.
Facebook-owned photo sharing platform Instagram is a great place to keep up with friends and family. But it’s also a haven for predators looking to exploit children. If you have a daughter or granddaughter that uses Instagram, you need to listen to this.
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Open/download audioMillions of people look to Uber or Lyft to get them home after a night of partying. The bad news is, sexual predators have discovered how easy it is to pose as an Uber or Lyft driver and take advantage of women. Do we need to think twice before getting into a seemingly trustworthy driver’s car?
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