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Councilman Greg Stanton and Attorney General Terry Goddard
Ahwatukee Republic Our Turn Column
August 2006
Taking Internet Safety to the Community
There was a time when we could feel safe for our children when they were at home.
Sadly, though, those days are pretty much gone, stolen from us by sexual predators who invade our homes using personal computers and the Internet.
Today we have to be every bit as vigilant when our children are at home on their computers as we are when they are away from home playing at a park or shopping at a mall.
Internet predators hang out on Internet chat rooms and social networking sites where they search for unsuspecting youngsters who will swap messages with them. While some of them are satisfied with engaging in inappropriate sexual conversations with kids, many others try to befriend their young targets in hopes of being able to meet them outside the home.
The highly disturbing results of a survey of teens 13 to 17 years old about their experiences on the Internet emphasize what we all face..
An alarming 14 percent of the children questioned admitting having had face-to-face meetings with strangers they met on the Internet, and another 30 percent said they have considered such meetings. Additionally, 45 percent said strangers have asked them for personal information and 71 percent reported receiving messages from strangers.
These are frightening numbers.
Law enforcement is working tirelessly to identify and catch these predators. In Arizona they are hunted down by a special task force of Phoenix police detectives who work closely with 46 similar groups nationwide and 44 law enforcement partners from throughout the state.
The undercover officers spend hours in front of computers, often posing as kids in hopes of setting up meetings with gullible predators so they can arrest them.
In Phoenix over the past year, the task force was involved in more than 750 investigations that produced 40 arrests or indictments While most of those arrested were Arizona residents, some actually traveled here from other states – one even came from England – to see kids they've met on the Internet.
While protecting our children from Internet predators is everyone’s job, as elected officials we plan to take an even more active role in this mission.
Over the next two months, we will be taking a campaign to schools and community meetings to help educate parents, teachers and children on the dangers of Internet predators. Our first public education meeting is at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 23, at the Madison School District Office, 5601 N. 16th St.
We are working to introduce state legislation that will give police new tools to catch and prosecute predators. Our proposals would make it a crime for someone to use the Internet to send images of lewd acts to minors, set minimum sentences for people convicted of luring minors through the Internet and prohibit sex offenders from setting up social networking Web sites.
We also offer valuable information and tips for parents and children on our Web sites. Visit
www.azag.gov and click on "children" or go to phoenix.gov/district 6.
You can help further by not only talking with your children, but also setting up special house rules.
Here are some tips to consider:
- Keep the computer in a room shared by the family.
- Establish times your children are allowed to be on the Internet.
- Supervise your children's online activity.
- Check the computer's Internet history frequently to find out where your children have been surfing.
- Invest in child-safe software, available at electronics stores and on the Internet.
- Teach your children to never give out any personal identifying information, such as a full name, an address, phone number, school or favorite hangouts.
And if you are concerned about an e-mail your child received, report it to the Office of the Attorney General at
www.azag.gov or to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at
www.cybertipline.com.
The safety of our children is the most important thing. By being well-informed, you can help your kids stay Internet safe.
Terry Goddard is Arizona's Attorney General. Phoenix City Councilman Greg Stanton is a member of the City Council Public Safety Subcommittee.
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