Pandora’s Blog

Florida law enforcement agents launched a program aimed at teaching children about the potential dangers of the Internet. With the help of Alicia Kozakiewicz, who was abducted by an online predator when she was 13, Attorney General Bill McCollum is touring the state Friday to promote the campaign.

The campaign includes the creation of Operation SafeSurf, a Web site with tips about staying safe on the Internet. It can be found at www.safeflorida.net.

Earlier this year, the Florida Legislature passed the 2007 Cyber Crimes Against Children Act, which strengthens penalties against people who use the Internet to prey on children. The act created a second-degree felony with up to a 15-year jail sentence for predators who contact children online and attempt to meet them for the purpose of sexual abuse.

In addition, the Attorney General’s Office and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children will produce public service announcements featuring surfer Kelly Slater and Tampa Bay Buccaneer Matt Bryant.

You can read an article from the St. Petersburg Times here.

The article doesn’t mention any tips or solutions for parents looking to protect their kids, however, so we want to remind parents that while these strides are being made in local governments and through awareness campaigns – YOU (parents) are the sole protectors of your kids. You are the first and last line of defense. We recommend using computer monitoring software, like our PC Pandora, to keep your kids safe online.

Tell us how YOUR state is fighting online scumbags who prey on kids.

This entry was posted on Monday, May 14th, 2007 at 4:40 PM and is filed under Main. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.