Protecting kids from predators on the Internet

Children used to face more tangible dangers. When most of us were growing up, our parents’ warning of “never talk to strangers” seemed sufficient to arm us against those who might want to do us harm. But today’s children face threats that are harder to see and often hard for parents to understand.
   While the Internet has brought us many great things, including the opportunity to easily share information, it has also exposed our children to new dangers. Websites that let children share messages, photos and other information with their friends have become very popular. But while these sites are a fun way for kids to connect with each other, they also do not afford the opportunity for them to see who they are actually communicating with. Several stories have made headlines in recent years about adult predators posing as children on such Web sites.
Parents are becoming better informed about how to protect their children on the Internet, but kids are often more savvy about today’s fast-evolving technology and latest Internet fads. It can be very difficult for parents to know exactly what their children are doing on the Internet.
In 1999, the Maine Computer Crimes Task Force was formed to respond to computer-related crimes, particularly those that target children. Members of the task force coordinate computer crime investigations statewide, with a focus on conducting computer forensic investigations. Task force members have hundreds of hours of training and have completed more than 600 forensic computer exams in the past eight years.
The task force also includes local law enforcement representatives whose primary focus is to provide outreach in their communities. They offer safety courses to children, teachers, and community groups on protecting children.
The Maine Computer Crimes Task Force has been successful in providing protection to Maine’s children online. This session I introduced a bill that would help to insure that it remains successful. The bill, LD 193, would provide funding to the task force to enforce convicted sexual offenders’ probation conditions. These often include not being allowed to go on Websites frequented by children.
The bill would appropriate $100,000 a year for the law enforcement effort, which is a small price to pay to protect our children from dangerous Internet predators.
Rep. Fischer may be contacted by phone (551-3097), by mail (6C Third St., Presque Isle, ME 04769), or by e-mail (RepJeremy.Fischer@legislature.maine.gov).