By Lynda J. Bergh Herring
L.J.B. Investigations,
California License # PI 18056
With the holidays quickly approaching, there are children everywhere hoping Santa will bring them the latest electronic device, perhaps a new iPhone 16, Android 15, PlayStation 5, or a new tablet or laptop.
Predators are hoping a LOT of children receive those gifts as well. Do not even get me started on gift cards for gaming apps, such as Roblox. I cringe when I see my friends’ children asking for, and receiving, those gift cards.
Predators await on gaming sites
According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, at any given time, there are 500,000 predators online waiting for your child to pop into a gaming site or onto a social platform. These predators target children as young as five years old. Five! In my opinion, children that young should not be using electronic gaming systems. Most teenagers should not either, but that’s another article.
‘Stranger Danger’ online
If your child is using a gaming system or social media, they need to pay attention to privacy settings. Many games and most social media platforms allow anyone to contact anyone they like. Does your child know not to talk to strangers online? Is your child able to recognize an online predator? A colleague in the Department of Homeland Security and others I know in law enforcement have recently commented that the internet is much more dangerous than the traditional white panel van everyone is warned to avoid. What happens on the internet is real, but many do not think of it that way. Stranger danger online is a legitimate and growing concern.
Online enticement is increasing
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children saw a 300 percent increase in reports of online enticement between 2021 and 2023. During 2023, they received 36,210,368 reports of suspected child sexual abuse material, the vast majority of which was reported by electronic service providers and consisted of illicit images or videos of children being exchanged or sold online.
Children and parents should be educated regarding how to not only identify an online predator, but how to report inappropriate or illegal content on the assorted platforms. It is a simple process with most and should be discussed with your children. That conversation will organically lead to you reinforcing the need for your children to report such conduct to you as well.
Open communication is crucial
Open communication between you and your children is vital to keeping them safe online. Do they know they can talk to you about anything? Even embarrassing issues? Are they aware that, if a predator manipulates them into sending an inappropriate video or photo to them, the child is not committing a crime? That’s what the predator is doing. On the other hand, if a child sends a photo of their friend to someone, that is a criminal act.
Pay attention to privacy settings
Privacy settings are also extremely important. When your child receives that new phone or tablet, sit with them and make sure they have their profiles locked down. Everything possible should be set to private, including their school, city they live in, and siblings’ names. If they are active in organized sports, that information should also be private. Be sure they know a predator is able to conduct a simple Google search, which will reveal names of their parents, addresses and phone numbers, vehicles (including license plates), school information, and younger siblings’ names. Within seconds a predator is able to access that information and use it to manipulate your child, sometimes even to track down your child’s location.
Some apps are dangerous
Once your child has set up their new devices, be sure to go through the apps with them and discuss those they are using. Some of the more dangerous platforms include Instagram and Snapchat. The former is often used for initial contact with your child, during which the predator screenshots their friends and followers. The predator will then invite your child to move to Snapchat where photos and videos can “safely” be shared because they disappear. However, what the predator does not say is that those photos and videos will be screenshot or saved long before they disappear, and quickly shared amongst their groups of fellow predators on the deep web.
Photos are forever
According to NCMEC, 40 percent of teens think it is olay to send an illicit photo or video as long as it is sent via an platform where it disappears. Snapchat has a default setting for chats to disappear in 24 hours. Those messages, including videos and photos, can be screen shot, saved and shared many, many times during that 24-hour time period. Predators conveniently “forget” to share that detail with their targets. Additional apps with disappearong messages include WhatsApp, Signal, Telegram, Messenger, Instagram and many others that marketed toward children and young teens.
I hope you and yours enjoy a wonderful holiday season! While celebrating, please do not forget to do all you can to keep your children safe.
As a licensed private investigator with over 40 years of experience working on cases involving children, I am available to present workshops to raise awareness and provide education regarding how you and your children can remain safe from online predators. My book, “Your Amazing Itty Bitty Keep Your Children Safe Book” will be coming very soon, in time for Christmas.
For more information, contact me at ocladypi@gmail.com. You can also find all my social media links and contact information at linktr.ee/ocladypi.