Sex. Pred. Ed.

         Internet predators are everywhere online. That is why parents need to learn about this and inform their children of the dangers online. So I am dedicating this website to help parents learn about these specific dangers and just how dangerous they can get.

The Best Way To Stay Safe Online


The most important thing to do is to learn about this issue, and to not give out personal information like telephone numbers, addresses, the school you attend, or anything else that would make it easier for a predator to find you. Also NEVER go meet up with some one you hardly know, or who you met online in some chat room, it is believed that this is the best way to protect yourself from becoming another victim.

Some good tips for parents to know are:

*Watch out for any unusual Internet activity from your children.

*Get your own site. If you want a way to keep a close eye on your children you can get your own facebook or MySpace account.

*Know who your kids are chatting with.

*Tell your children a story like Alicia's. It will make them realize the real dangers of online predators.

*A good thing to know is that it does not matter if you are from a big city or a small town the Internet connects everyone globally.


Another tip for parents!!!

BECOME MORE TECH SAVVY 

It is important to become computer smart in order to help keep your kids safe. Learn how to use the Internet, and E-mail. Knowing about the computer will also help you learn how to set up parental barricades on which websites are appropriate and safe for your kids to use.

Here is one of many stories from a victim:

"Six years ago, Alicia Kozakiewicz says she was just a normal 13-year-old girl. That all changed on New Year's Day 2002. Today, she recounted for Congress how an online sexual predator befriended her in an Internet chat room, then kidnapped her, drove her across state lines and locked her in a cage in his basement, where he beat her, tortured her and raped her.


Alicia Kozakiewicz: 'The boogey man is real - he lives on the net.'

'I cry inside. I mourn for that child that was me. The child that was stolen from me. Make no mistake -- that child was murdered. I know now that some parts of me are forever there. The child that I was is still chained in that room, still suffering.'

Kozakiewicz warned the House Judiciary Committee of the widespread dangers of Internet sex crimes.

'The boogey man is real. And he lives on the Net. He lived in my computer -- and he lives in yours,' she said, looking at the lawmakers. 'While you are sitting here, he is at home with your children.'

Kozakiewicz was rescued by FBI agents. She is now a 19-year-old college sophomore. Scott Tyree of Herndon, Va., was convicted of the crime and is serving a 20-year prison sentence. Not only did he beat, torture and rape Kozakiewicz, he also posted online pictures of her taken while she was locked in his basement.

Committee members were urged by fellow lawmakers to take legislative action against online sex crimes.

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., cited a 'dearth of federal resources devoted to investigating and prosecuting child exploitation and crimes.'

She cited Flint Waters of the Wyoming Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, telling the committee, 'right now there are nearly 500,000 identified individuals in the United States trafficking child pornography on the Internet. Law enforcement knows who they are and where they are. What shocked me the most and what compelled me to get involved in this issue is that due to a lack of resources, law enforcement is investigating less than two percent of these known 500,000 individuals.'

'Sometimes the problems we face as a Congress are extremely complex and other times the solutions are simple and right in front of our eyes,' she said. 'There is no mystery about what we need to do now to save thousands of children from abuse and exploitation.'

Wasserman Schultz has introduced the Protect Our Children Act of 2007.

'The Internet has unfortunately become an easy avenue for predators to find unsuspecting victims,' said Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash. 'That is why I have introduced legislation, the Sex Offender Internet Prohibition Act of 2007, which imposes mandatory penalties, five to 10 years in prison, for individuals who are required to register as sex offenders and knowingly access a Web site with the intent to communicate with an unsuspecting child. This bill sends a clear message to sex offenders that if they use these Internet sites to contact children, they will go to jail.'"

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