Predators troll for children online

This post is a response to a discussion on LinkedIn at http://www.linkedin.com/groupAnswers?viewQuestionAndAnswers=&discussionID=9267732&gid=67134&trk=EML_anet_qa_ttle-cnhOon0JumNFomgJt7dBpSBA in which the discussion was about predators seeking out children through search profiles on social networking sites…

Protect your kids be learning more below from my response in that thread.

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It has been my experience in law enforcement that what you wrote about is true.

Parents, listen up….

Bad people (predators) will comb through social networking profiles looking for information that suits their desire and will work with or expand on that information to groom a child. For example, type in your home telephone number with the area code into Google with the hyphens, and again without the hyphens, and see what you get.  Also, Google your child’s name, especially if they are into sports.  predators do as much.

Also, predators will use search fields to refine what they are looking for, it is easier than reading through profiles.  With a little bit of information a predator can begin to watch open chats to glean more information, or use seemingly innocuous profile information of a target child to refine the target (match up the name of a school in a profile to a geographic region, then do a last name search in a phone book or public records within that region).  A predator will then track the target child by following them in various social networking sites, and/or engage them in a chat through that site or other similar online service to further the grooming (chats or online contact) or collection of information.

My law enforcement experience allowed me to pose undercover as a child and be groomed and arrest predators.  I would like to reveal more here to parents about how they work but for two reasons I won’t, 1. because I don’t want predators out there to come learn it, and 2. because law enforcement relies on predator conduct to catch them.  Suffice it to say that with a bit of computer savvy and a small bit of information a predator can move from having a little bit of information about a child  to being able to learn where that child lives or goes to school and find them in the real world. (think map point and Google earth, recall the Google search of your phone #)

Generally these travelers and groomers don’t snatch the child right off the street because they want a relationship with them.  They want the child to be a willing partner.  The predator wants to arrange a meeting with them (this is real bad and should be prevented by all means).  The predator uses the info to maintain a regular communications relationship online with the child so that if or when an attempt to meet is arranged within that communication, the childs defenses are down as the child has been lied to and believes this person is an acquaintance or friend.

Here’s the bottom line, there needs to be a much larger role of parental supervision in matters involving a child online, and there is no need for a child in a social networking environment to have any profile of any kind that reveals personal information.

And parents…. understand that some of your kids are maintaining more than one social networking presence; although they may show you their Facebook or Myspace account for your approval, there is likely to be one they don’t show you and that one is the problem.

Listen, if a predator learns how to find a child, or the home phone number, or anything that can lead them to the area or place where the child lives and goes to school, you and your home have been compromised, it affects the safety of the whole family..

Solution:  begin a much more restrictive policy in your home about being given all passwords and usernames to online services that require them.  If you do not get compliance from your child then password protect the operating system so the machine will not boot up for your child until you enter it for them, or until they give you all passwords and usernames.  Maintain and update that list!

And feel free to log on as your child and see who says what, that can be quite revealing.

Thanks for reading,

Kevin Owens
www.e-copp.com

http://ecopp.wordpress.com/

http://twitter.com/TheBlueKnight

Tools to protect you child online.

The following answer was submitted to an incoming question by email.  the email was:

Hello,

Good article in today’s paper.

In addition to buying your program, what software do you recommend for my kids computer.

Thank you, David Z.

and my response…….

Thanks for reading the article and for emailing us.  I appreciate your interest.

The e-Copp program is a great tool for parents and teachers as an early education and training program to teach kids up to the 4^th or 5^th grade how to be safe online.  It is a four part series of animated short that deal with the main issues of online activity.

As far as software goes what most parents are interested in is protective software, software that includes parental controls and other aspects to know where a child surf on the web and that traps all incoming and out going emails, instant messages, and chats.  In addition to software there are physical devices that capture keystrokes so a parent can review all typing done by a child.

Most computers come with some level of parental control.  In the Control Panel on Windows machines individual users can be set up and each user can have usage settings set according to a parents wishes.  Also, the Control Panel has an area for Internet usage (connectivity and/or security) that can be set.  Most search engines like Mozilla Firefox and Microsoft Internet Explorer have settings or options menus built within them to limit kids access and exposure to online content.  These search engines also have a History files to see what has been visited over time.  It is simple to instruct the computer to delete the history from the browser upon exit or shutdown.

Things get more tech savvy from here with freeware that can be downloaded to read the Internet Temporary files and .dat files so a person (parents, analysts, police) can read the totality of web sites visited by that particular computer.  Such sites include the sites intentionally visited and the sites that a user was redirected to.

A further delve into the computer takes us to the registry files.  Many people fear to go there because a wrong setting change in a registry hive of the operating system can permanently change your computer and how it operates, even disabling it requiring higher end service repairs to get the registry straightened out.  However, like anything, it can be learned and practiced and isn’t so dreadful once understood.  Knowing how to read or search the registry hives yields great information on the use of a computer.

A lot of the parental control software derives its information output from these types of files making the process easier.

I hope this answer helped, in fact, I think I will use your question and my answer in the next blog posting for e-Copp.

In the signature below are other links for your review.  We always appreciate comments and visits to the blog and being followed on Twitter.

Thanks again for your interest and question,

Best Regards,

Kevin

Kevin Owens

Blue Knight Productions, Inc

e-Copp Program

P.O. Box 21774

Cleveland OH 44121-0774

216-382-4221

e-copp@blueknightproductions.us

kevin038@mindspring.com

www.e-copp.com

Company Web Site

http://ecopp.wordpress.com/

Our Online Safety Blog

http://twitter.com/TheBlueKnight

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Get e-Copp on ebay at our store

“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”

Irish politician Edmund Burke (1729 – 1797).

Recent News Worthy Items

The following short items are items I recently posted my twitter page, http://twitter.com/TheBlueKnight. What is interesting is they are recent, they are real and two of them involve teachers.  The two teacher incidents are in Ohio, imagine what is really going on across the country.   Each item has a link (I shortened the URL to make it fit in Twitter) to a reliable story about each incident.

use e-Copp to teach your kids, we did the work, we made the lesson plans, we set up the curriculum, and we made it inexpensive.  Educate your kids!  Education and supervision is the best prevention

One case is a teacher who was convicted of sex with a student who is back teaching at another school.

Another case is a Columbus, Ohio, teacher who was found with 200,000 kiddie pron images on his computer… imagine, a teacher right in the classroom with kids.  I don’t know if he ever harmed or took advantage of a child, but it seems he fueled his desire online.   He has full access to kids, he has superior authority over those kids, he has public trust over those kids, he has leverage (through grading) over those kids, and through teacher/parent meetings he has the ability to groom parents.   Why would a teacher groom parents The reason is if his behavior (like is kiddie porn collection) comes to light there will be a hue and cry from parents such as, “really…I don’t believe it, we knew him.”  or like, “he’s not that way, we had him at our home.”  or like, “he was always nice to use when we met.”  or like, ” he was always so good with the kids”.  Ya think?

The last case is truly tragic, a 7 year old girl missing from the Orange Park area of Florida.

Cincinnati teacher convicted of sex with student is teaching in school again, http://is.gd/4uoAO. Protect kids with educations, use e-Copp

A Columbus, Ohio School teacher is arrested when FBI finds 200,000 kiddie pron images on his computer!! http://is.gd/4uopt Get e-Copp!!

e-Copp is a great program to protect kids from real dangers, & the dangers are very real, http://bit.ly/4f4RMN

Keep Your Children Safe on the Internet This School Year

With children settling back into their desks for another year of learning, many of them will have homework assignments that will require them to research material on the Internet.  As a large resource, the Internet can assist young minds discover useful information for homework and school projects.  And after doing their school work, many of these same students will use the Internet for leisure activities like surfing the net, chatting with friends on social networking sites or playing video games.  It is here where parents should be wary and pay particular attention to what their kids are doing on the computer and not rely on it as a co-babysitter with their television sets.  Although the Internet has many positive attributes, the increasing dangers posed to children should raise caution flags for parents.
There is a natural naiveté of young people to just how dark the World Wide Web can be.  Combine that with casual lack of oversight by parents or the misplaced confidence in screening software and it mixes up a recipe for serious problems for the lives and psyches of our kids.
For children 10 years and under, early exposure to pornography is particularly troublesome.  Whether accidentally or deliberately, porn can find its way onto your computer screens when your child is on it.  Make no mistake that their little minds are not hardwired for such imagery and there are indications revealing disturbing trends where some children are acting out sexually on other children as a result of this corrupt visualization.  Children do not understand such imagery and sometimes have a hard time expressing what they have seen.  Not withstanding the blurring lines for law enforcement on determining culpability of young violators, it is crystal clear that children have been victimized.  The poison of porn has always been problematic for adults but now it is corroding our children’s minds primarily through easy Internet access.  With over 40,000 porn sites on the Net, this toxic influence will likely get worse.

Poisonous pictures can also lead to other even more serious risks.  It can begin with kids’ on-line chatting.  Children can easily develop a trusting friendly relationship with a complete stranger based on keystrokes in the comfort of their homes.  Most offenders openly solicit victims on-line through bringing up sexual topics, engaging in cyber sex or transmitting sexual pictures. This is done through the anonymity provided by the Web.  Phone encounters may progress after on-line activity and then can advance to actual physical encounters. Many cases of abuse involved face-to-face sexual encounters, some of these involving some form of sexual contact between the offender and the victim.  The offender is not considered a stranger to the child for they feel they have created a “trusting” friendship.  Many crimes occur after the offender builds that relationship on-line with the victim.

And for our young teenagers, the hip appeal to social networking sites such as My Space and Face Book are not without serious risks and parents are negligent if they dismiss their teen’s participation as nothing more than “kids being kids.”  Moms shouldn’t delude themselves into thinking that their sons and daughters are just kibitzing with their friends inside networks only secure to those pals with passwords.  Visits or browsing throughout these systems can lead them to some bizarre stuff.  Also, teens can set up two networks, one they show their parents and one that they access to outside their supervision.  Ask yourself why they would do this.  Also “friends” can become estranged and we all know that ex-friends are capable of sharing those old secrets, i.e. site access of ex-friends.  Instantly outsiders are accessing private information and downloading pictures without permission.  These personal pictures can then be altered in very inappropriate and degrading ways.  These “notebooks” are not secure and safe. Many so called “outsiders” can gain access to personal information and befriend anyone listing personal information about them.  It is why it is so important to always know who children are chatting with.

Also, parents and teens should be especially vigilant in posting those innocuous pictures of them at the beach in their bathing suits, at school in varsity jerseys, with friends, family, or honestly any photos at all.  Once those pictures are out, they can easily get lost in an electronic universe where retrieving them is unrealistic.  So for every Dad and Mom who is uncomfortable with the idea of a picture of their daughter wearing her swim suit being a screen saver for a pedophile two states over, careful oversight of what your kids post is in order.  Actually, if anyone thinks that it is only kids visiting these sites, they are wrong.  There are thousands of registered sex offenders in this country of which too many are in non-compliance.  Don’t mislead yourself that plenty aren’t regularly visiting these networking sites to “socialize.”  Older adults pose as teenagers and young teens pose as older to gain access to the web sites. Nothing is honest and almost anything goes.
With teens spending almost 15 hours a week online, parents need to maintain strict time management of their kids’ access to their computers.  Although not fool proof, screening software can help in controlling their access to some visual trash and hate speech.  But being a nosy parent is a critical behavior that could help protect your child from unhealthy imagery and the luring efforts of Internet child predators.  Don’t be afraid to look over your kid’s shoulders when they are on-line, “snoop” when they are off-line and ask questions. Have the computer situated in an open family environment. Kids are less likely to be secretive when the computer screen is in view of their family rather than in private in their bedrooms.  Consistent open channels of communications are critical for parents and kids.  By working together as a team, children and parents can present formable barriers to better protect their families.  To learn more about how to keep your children safe while using the Internet, please visit our website at www.e-copp.com.

Lisa M. Owens RN, MBA

Tom Wetzel, suburban police lieutenant

www.e-copp.com

“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”

Irish politician Edmund Burke (1729 – 1797).

Our Message to Schools

With our signature Internet safety program e-Copp now in schools, we are confident that young students will make better decisions when using a computer after they participate in this special educational opportunity.  They will learn how to better protect themselves from on-line victimization because the risks to children from predators, fraud, and pornography are serious.  By having teachers, students and parents work as a team, children can learn at an early age how to stay safe while using the Internet.  Our team at Blue Knight Productions encourages you to order e-Copp today for your school.  To learn more about this important effort, please visit our website at www.e-Copp.com or call us at 440.942.9257.  Thank you and have a blessed week.  Respectfully, Tom Wetzel

e-Copp Strategy

e-Copp Purpose

Good Men Do Something

I posted the following on Linked In as a response to a comment posted by Mary Kay Hoal, the Founder/President/COO of Yoursphere Media Inc.

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Hi, I have created a site by adults for parents.  The parents go to the site to learn how to protect kids from online dangers.

Consider this quote…
“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”
Irish politician Edmund Burke (1729 – 1797).

I am the good man who has done something!

I am a police officer who has investigated internet crimes against children.  My investigation was in an undercover capacity posing as a child so bad guys would come after me online, groom me, and lure me out to violate me.  However, I and the team I worked with would arrest them.

I was completely amazed at the width, breadth, and depth of depravity of online predators’ desire for children that I felt an educational component for kids on a mass scale was necessary to augment the efforts of law enforcement.  I developed a program with my partner titled e-Copp which means educational Children’s online protection program, and intend for it to be that program on a national scale.

To propel the program I need parents and family friendly businesses to support me by using the program and a show of support.  I need parents help to use the program or get their schools to use it.  I need the business community to come to me as program supporters.  I will even allow a business to advertise in the books that come with the program (and online too)  if they support me with an e-Copp support sticker in their window and a link on their business site.

With the exponential growth of on-line crime, sexually explicit web sites, sexually oriented spam, predatory solicitation of children, and the increased use of the internet in both home and schools, e-copp is your primary resource for on-line safety and child protection.

e-copp is an elementary or home school based children’s educational program dedicated to protecting children through awareness of Internet dangers and instruction on dealing with them. OUR GOAL IS TO PREVENT THE VICTIMIZATION OF CHILDREN FROM PREDATORY INTERNET ACTIVITY. It is an empowering program that provides adults and teachers the tools needed in taking an active role with children’s internet experiences.

The program is an interactive animated DVD featuring characters who experience trouble online and are rescued by the main character, Lil Copper and her sidekick DoubleClick. The animations are in four parts and are created in age appropriate language that will not alarm children.  The DVD comes with a teachers manual and a student workbook.  The DVD and workbooks can be bought individually or as a kit.

It is made by two cops and their wives.  Cops and moms… created by cops, approved by moms, and kid tested!

This program is simple, place the DVD in the tray and press play.  The curriculum and lesson plans are all set up on the DVD.  Parents and teachers do not need to do any set up or lesson planning.   It’s done. The kids watch a chapter on the DVD then do a chapter in the workbook.  Kids see and hear the DVD and read and write in the workbook.  We have worked hard to cement the safety message in a kid friendly manner so kids never fall prey to the lies and grooming of predators.

I created a web site that is being revamped and re-released in November called www.e-copp.com.  It is up now in its original state and you can view it for more info.  Bookmark it to come back when the new site is complete in early November.

To get the program you can use the contact page at that site to arrange it with me or go to the ebay store I just put together (and am still adjusting) at http://stores.shop.ebay.com/Blue-Knight-Productions-Inc.  To stay in touch with followers and to gather comments, opinions, & feedback I created an e-Copp blog page at http://ecopp.wordpress.com/ as well as a twitter page at http://twitter.com/TheBlueKnight. I am also on linked in.

So, as a cop I have investigated, arrested and created; now I need the public, the parents and business to help.  Use the program, teach your kids.

Thanks for your time, please leave comments.

Kevin

A Testimonial

I thought as the creator and co-owner of Blue Knight Productions and the e-copp program to have as our first post in our first blog a testimonial for a recognized educatior int he Cleveland, Ohio, area.  Thanks to all who have been of so much help and guidance to us and our work.  Enjoy!

A TESTIMONIAL

by Rosemary Nemeth

Master Teacher Adjunct Prof. for John Carroll University, 4th grade Teacher at Gesu School,  2000-2001 NTTI Outstanding Teacher of the Year, the 1989 Master Teacher of the Year for the Cleveland Catholic Diocese.

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e-Copp is an excellent interactive curriculum for children, teachers and parents! Educational Children On-Line Protection Program defines e-Copp. e-Copp totally opened my eyes to the dangers that exist on-line. Crimes against children are happening on-line. e-Copp promotes safety for your children. In addition, e-Copp educates children and adults on how to properly deal with email, chat rooms, instant messaging, on-line shopping etc. e-Copp also offers fantastic guidance on the appropriate avenues to seek assistance with on-line problems, abuse and crimes. I highly recommend e-Copp for schools and families. If you care about your children, you need to take a serious look at e-Copp!!!