Parents usually admonish their children to never talk to strangers; however, they may be doing just that, right in their very home. Advocates for Internet safety gathered last night at Horace Mann Middle School and asked parents: Do your children (or you) know who they are talking to online?
"Internet crime is the fastest growing crime in the United States and children are the fastest growing victims," said FBI Special Agent David George. He said kids often are targeted even as parents watch them use the computer.
About 35 parents attended the more than two-and-a-half-hour, interactive Internet Safety Awareness Night.
Hosted by Rep. James Vallee and Voices Inc. (Voices of Involved Citizen Encouraging Safety), the program included George and other speakers including members of Attorney General Tom Reilly's office and two Franklin Police officers.
While the Internet can be a useful tool, it can also present dangers, especially to children, according to George. He said the goal of the evening was to "arm parents with knowledge" and prevent children becoming victims.
According to FBI statistics, six out of 10 kids online have received an e-mail or an Instant Message from strangers. More than half wrote back.
"A lot of (personal) information can be given through Instant Messaging and in live chat rooms," said George.
As an undercover agent, he will pose as a 14-year-old boy on Internet chat rooms, one of the ways he sometimes finds those who prey on children. He demonstrated how easy it is to get into a chat room and begin a conversation via computer.
Typically, he said, a predator will assume an age just a few years older than the child with whom they are chatting online. After gaining the child's confidence and becoming their online friend, they often ask personal information. "They will slowly, taking weeks or months, weave in the topic of sex," said the FBI agent.
Often, he said, the child doesn't realize he has given out personal information. Eventually, the predator may try to meet the child.
George also addressed the issue of child pornography and how predators meet their victims online. Once they get pornographic pictures of the kids, they sometimes distribute the images on the Internet.
George also spoke about bullying online and how kids can adopt another kid's screen name and spread rumors about them.
That kind of problem goes on all the time at Franklin High School, said school safety Officer Jason Reilly of the Franklin department. "Threats and bullying online is a nightmare for us," he said.
Reilly and school safety Officer Danny MacLean said parents best defense is to keep up with the technology and stay "one step ahead of the kids."
Speakers emphasized parents should not let their children have computers in their own rooms. "You have to watch them (kids) all the time," said Reilly, who acknowledged Franklin has its share of Internet crime including child pornography.
"It's here in Franklin," he said.
Carrie Kent said she wanted to learn more so she can monitor her 12-year-old. "I got much more information than I anticipated," she said.
Principal Anne Bergen said the program was powerful. Her only complaint was that more parents didn't attend.
"I think that parents truly don't understand what their kids are doing," she said, "they have a certain naivete about what's going on."
Lincoln Purdy, who considers himself a savvy parent when it comes to computers, said he came "just to stay ahead of" his 10 and 7 year olds.
"It's pretty scary to know how easy it is for kids to get into places (on the computer) they have no business being," said Purdy.
