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Kids more at risk from online predators during coronavirus, COVID-19

Being at home during the coronavirus pandemic means children are spending a lot more time on the internet making kids more vulnerable to predators

MAINE, USA — Online sexual exploitation and abuse of children happens more than we think. 

"It happens everywhere and Maine is not immune to it," said Will Crogan, the Assistant Special Agent in Charge for HSI Boston, which includes all of New England. 

Within the last three years, 70 children victimized by child exploitation were identified and or rescued by Homeland Security Investigations or HSI agents working in Maine.

Crogan says, "child exploitation crimes are ambiguous they don't have prejudices as to who is vulnerable or who isn't."

Normally this time of year HSI agents, investigators, and task officers would be visiting school districts all over the country to talk to students about being internet smart.

But due to COVID-19, that's not happening, so instead they're raising awareness remotely at a time when kids and teenagers are using the internet more than ever.

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"We have unfortunately opportunities for people to potentially prey on kids because they are home, they are in perhaps less structured environments and they're using social media apps and other access points to the internet."

Crogan says precautions parents can take are straight forward.

Discuss internet safety with your children:

  • Monitor your child's internet use and keep devices in a common area, not their bedroom
  • Review and approve games and apps before they're downloaded
  • Explain to your child that images posted online stay on the internet permanently
  • Set strict privacy settings
  • And check your child's profiles to see what they're posting and who they're talking to

Crogan says if parents or guardians suspect that a crime may have occurred to call your local police department.

"I think the most important this is for a parent to just have a conversation with their children for a guardian to talk to their child and now there are resources out there."

One of those resources Crogan recommends is NetsSmartzKids.org. He said the site provides advice, educational material for various age groups and technical topics for parents.

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At NEWS CENTER Maine, we're focusing our news coverage on the facts and not the fear around the illness. To see our full coverage, visit our coronavirus section, here: /coronavirus

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