LUDLOW — In the wake of a Massachusetts State Police operation that led to the arrest of over 50 individuals in this week, the Ludlow Police Department would like to offer the community Internet safety advice from the U.S. Department of Justice.
On Monday, State Police announced that Operation Firewall led to the arrest of 58 individuals in Massachusetts on charges relating to child pornography. The operation was conducted in just three days.
To help families ensure their children are not being victimized online, Ludlow Police would like to share safety tips from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Criminal Division.
“For children and young adults, the internet can be as dangerous as it is helpful,” said Provisional Police Chief Michael Brennan. “The scope of the danger was laid bare by the operation conducted by Massachusetts State Police, and we hope parents will take time to consider the safety advice that we’re sharing.”
Parents, guardians, caregivers, and teachers can take the following measures to help protect children from becoming victims of online child predators.
- Discuss internet safety and develop an online safety plan with children before they engage in online activity. Establish clear guidelines, teach children to spot red flags, and encourage children to have open communication with you.
- Supervise young children’s use of the internet, including periodically checking their profiles and posts. Keep electronic devices in open, common areas of the home and consider setting time limits for their use.
- Review games, apps, and social media sites before they are downloaded or used by children. Pay particular attention to apps and sites that feature end-to-end encryption, direct messaging, video chats, file uploads, and user anonymity, which are frequently relied upon by online child predators.
- Adjust privacy settings and use parental controls for online games, apps, social medial sites, and electronic devices.
- Tell children to avoid sharing personal information, photos, and videos online in public forums or with people they do not know in real life. Explain to your children that images posted online will be permanently on the internet.
- Teach children about body safety and boundaries, including the importance of saying ‘no’ to inappropriate requests both in the physical world and the virtual world.
- Be alert to potential signs of abuse, including changes in children’s use of electronic devices, attempts to conceal online activity, withdrawn behavior, angry outbursts, anxiety, and depression.
- Encourage children to tell a parent, guardian, or other trusted adult if anyone asks them to engage in sexual activity or other inappropriate behavior.
- Immediately report suspected online enticement or sexual exploitation of a child by calling 911, contacting the FBI at tips.fbi.gov, or filing a report with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) at 1-800-843-5678 or report.cybertip.org. Concerned parents can also call Ludlow Police at 413-583-8305.
###
Discover more from John Guilfoil Public Relations
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.