PROTECTING YOUR CHILDREN IN CYBERSPACE

CRIME VICTIMS RIGHTS WEEK
STATE POLICE FOCUS ON CITIZENS’ RIGHT TO KNOW
HOW TO KEEP FROM BECOMING A VICTIM

TODAY: PROTECTING YOUR CHILDREN IN CYBERSPACE

(Pikesville, MD) – Anyone who is a parent today knows that a computer quickly becomes a part of their child’s life and the Internet provides a seemingly unlimited opportunity for exploration and education. Unfortunately, criminals, many of whom prey on unsuspecting children, also use cyberspace to identify and connect with their victims. In today’s “Right To Know: How To Keep From Becoming A Victim,” the focus is on protecting your child while he or she is on the Internet.

Police investigators who are a part of Maryland’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force know all too well of the dangers that put children at risk. Task force members made more than ten times as many arrests in 2008 as they did in 2000, when the task force began. Arrests increased from 242 in 2000 to 2,541 in 2008.**

Task force members have also seen an increase in child pornography complaints they have handled. In 2003, they dealt with 3,554 cases and in 2008, they investigated 9,234 cases of possession of child pornography on computers, most of which was distributed or obtained through the Internet.

The task force has also dealt with more cases involving individuals who solicit young people for sex over the Internet. In 2008, they investigated 1,608 sexual solicitation of a minor over the Internet cases, compared with 672 in 2003.

(**These numbers do not necessarily indicate an increase in the frequency of these crimes in Maryland. The task force has grown in size and effectiveness since 2000 and is making more criminal cases today than ever before.**)

Maryland’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force suggests three important rules of on-line safety for children that investigators urge parents to teach their children and ensure they follow. They are:

1) I will never give out or send personal information (photos, address, phone numbers, or location of school) without my parent’s permission.

2) If I come across or am sent information online that makes me feel uncomfortable, I’ll tell my parents or teachers and will not respond to this kind of message.

3) I’ll never agree to get together with someone I meet online without my parent’s prior knowledge and permission.

The Task Force also has ten important tips parents should use to keep their children safe while online. They are:

1) Place the computer in the most public room in your home.

2) Establish ground rules for Internet use.

3) Share time online by surfing the Internet with your child.

4) Instruct your child not to give out personal information without your permission.

5) Read the privacy policy of any site that asks for personal information before you allow your child to respond.

6) If your child wants to meet in person someone they have met online, make sure a parent is present.

7) Instruct your child never to respond to email or chat messages that make them feel uncomfortable. Ensure you child reports such messages to you when or if they occur.

8) Inform your Internet service provider of any inappropriate uses of the Internet encountered by
you or your child.

9) Encourage your child to share their online experiences with you.

10) Know exactly what various parental control tools can and cannot do and how they work.

To make a complaint about on-line child exploitation, the task force can be
contacted at 1-800-MDS-KIDS. Reports can also be made to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s Cyber Tip Line at www.cybertipline.org.

In 2000, the Maryland State Police received federal funding to establish the Maryland Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, with a mission of protecting children from Internet crime through community education, active investigation, and effective prosecution. Maryland used a task force model and formed cooperative relationships with local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to build a ‘circle of protection’ to help safeguard Maryland children from Internet predators, while building partnerships that provide an effective investigative response to online child exploitation.

The current members of Maryland’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force are the: Allegany County Sheriff’s Office, Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney, Baltimore City State’s Attorney, Baltimore County Police Department, Baltimore County State’s Attorney, Baltimore Police Department, Bel Air Police Department, Calvert County Sheriff’s Office, Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, Cecil County State’s Attorney, Cumberland Police Department, Frederick County Sheriff’s Office, Frostburg Police Department, Harford County Child Advocacy Center, Harford County Sheriff’s Office, Howard County Police Department, Maryland State Police, Montgomery County Police Department, St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Attorney’s Office District of Maryland, Washington County Sheriff’s Office, Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office, and the Wicomico County State’s Attorney.