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Parents got a frightening reminder this week of the dangers awaiting children whose online activities go unsupervised. Four men were arrested for allegedly soliciting a minor online, as a result of work done by the West Virginia State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigations.
These four men, ranging in age from 25-50, had believed they were communicating with children online -- sending lewd photos and arranging to meet for sex acts. Thank goodness the person with whom they were communicating was an undercover member of law enforcement, because these suspects went further than online communication. They drove to Parkersburg -- some of them from far away, and in a crushing winter storm -- believing they were about to meet and engage in sexual activity with the children they thought they had been grooming.
This is not an isolated incident. A similar sting operation netted six arrests for child solicitation crimes, a few years ago.
"Our caseload is huge for the state of West Virginia in general," said West Virginia State Police Cpl. J.M. DeMeyer, who is on the Internet Crimes Against Children task force.
Dangers lurk for children online that simply would not have existed before the internet age. Many apps make the problem worse.
"They're all dangerous for kids," DeMeyer said. "Any computer, phone or media device that has the capability to send or take pictures as well as message and communicate are very dangerous because predators prey on kids on the internet."
It cannot get any plainer than that. Predators prey on kids on the internet.
Parents cannot ignore that danger, or allow children to go online without being monitored.
"Parents need to know their kids' passwords," DeMeyer said. "Parents need to have an open, fluid conversation with their children about predators and being blackmailed on the internet and appropriate and inappropriate things to do."
It's not an easy conversation, but it is essential. The alternatives are unthinkable.