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AKRON – With the changing face of technology, parents need to be more aware of the dangers that face their children.
That was the message presented by parent advocate Crista Miller and Fort Wayne FBI agent Jeff Robertson during the “Protecting Your Family from the Dangerous Side of Technology” presentation at Tippecanoe Valley High School Monday night.
The event was aimed at helping parents be more aware of the dangers children face on the internet.
Robertson said the most important things parents can do is talk to their children.
“By the time I get involved, the situation has already escalated,” he said.
He said a common tactic of predators is the exchanging of pictures with the victim, then using the pictures to blackmail the child into sexual favors.
Miller asked the parents in the audience to give their children “grace” if they are already in a situation with an online predator. The child shouldn’t fear repercussions if they seek help, she said.
Miller told the story of how her daughter got involved with older men on the internet.
After Miller’s daughter ran away from home, her parents were able to find her – with the help of a student – within 36 hours in an apartment unit.
Law enforcement believes Miller’s daughter was targeted for human trafficking,
“They told us if we didn’t find her in 48 hours, she’d be gone,” Miller said.
Robertson shared his experiences working undercover for the FBI in Fort Wayne.
Due to social media, much of a teenager’s life is public. A predator would be able to know what the teen’s favorite movies and bands are, their hobbies, and if their parents are home, all from social media posts.
Robertson said he set up an undercover account on a social app to catch online predators. Within an hour he got 25 messages from men telling him how great “she” looked.
One man traveled from Canada to meet the “girl” in a FBI sting operation.
“He was really disappointed when he found it was me,” Robertson said.
Miller and Robertson recommend parents don’t allow teens to have phones, computers or gaming systems in their bedroom. They recommend checking a teen’s messages and emails occasionally.
But most importantly, they said, is maintaining an open line of communication with their children.
“You might even find out about a problem another child at the school is facing,” Miller said,
Tippecanoe Valley School Superintendent Brett Boggs said he organized the event after seeing Miller’s story on YouTube.
“I really think parents need to be aware of what’s out there,” Boggs said.
