Pandora's Blog

Here are two stories that show just how great MySpace is for the ill-intending. All I have to say is, parents, you gotta monitor your child’s PC activity… If these parents were involved, neither case would have happened. These are two more reasons why monitoring software like PC Pandora is essential. Bus driver accused of [...]

Some of my favorite stories – and some of the most horrifying – are when those we trust with positions of power are caught soliciting kids on the Internet for sex. We’ve seen police, judges, D.A.s, etc… Well, here’s the story of a 20-year-old ‘Wannabe Cop’ busted in Ohio for sending porn to an undercover [...]

This college student calls himself an “Internet humanitarian,” but I call him a righteous vigilante with a great idea! I chuckle inside, but this is no laughing matter. “Rob” from the Seattle area, was targeted on MySpace by a suspected predator when he was younger. Now in college, he operates undercover on MySpace from his [...]

What a great, yet obviously disgusting and tragic, follow-up to yesterday’s post. This story surfaced last week from Marietta, GA: Cobb County police say an Atlanta man sexually assaulted a 13-year-old girl he met on MySpace.com. Police say 22-year-old Nehemiah Musa Wells was arrested Wednesday after the girl’s father found him hiding in her bedroom. [...]

You want more reasons that parents should be cautious of their online teen’s activity? Check out this article from last week about a 13-year-old girl who had developed a relationship with a 33-year old man online, which had escalated to phone calls. That is the step before a face-to-face meeting, FYI. [Hawkins teen calls 33-year-old [...]

This is a follow-up to my rant about the new study released that has everyone rejoicing under a bogus pretense. Kristin Smith at First Coast News in Jacksonville FL did a story with David Finkelhor, the Crimes Against Children Research Center Director. You can read the full story here: Study Challenges Notions About Cyber-Predators. The [...]

The last couple of days everyone has weighed in on this new study – so I guess it’s my turn… Study Facts Title: Online “Predators” and Their Victims: Myths, Realities, and Implications for Prevention and Treatment Origin: Crimes Against Children Center at the University of New Hampshire Published: February/March issue of American Psychologist, a publication [...]

Normally, I don’t make a big show about caught and arrested predators because… well, there are just so many stories out there daily. But I do like to bring them to y’alls attention when they are out of the ordinary (one of the basic ideals that makes a good journalism story). The first story is [...]

That’s right, moms and dads – we’ve finally released PC Pandora 5.0!! The link to our press release online is here. Here is what the release says: Pandora Corp. Releases PC Pandora 5.0 Leading monitoring software program strengthens its established first-rate capabilities with new version 5.0; PC Pandora provides parents with an unparalleled eye into [...]

Thought I’d share some legislative news today. Two states have taken steps in banning online predators from social networks sites, while another tries to close a loophole. First up: New York’s eSTOP Act. I blogged about this a couple weeks ago when the bill was introduced. Aside from the glaringly obvious issues of enforcement, the [...]

In addition to the Pediatrics study released a couple weeks ago, a new study by the National School Boards Association (NSBA) and Grunwald Associates LLC exploring the online behaviors of U.S. teens and ‘tweens. The study is based on three surveys: an online survey of nearly 1,300 9 to 17-year-olds, an online survey of more [...]

If you read my blog here, there is one thing you can easily deduce – both from my tone and my ramblings – I hate social networks. I don’t hate them because they are dangerous or filled with predators and pedophiles. No, I hate them for a much more philosophical and basic-caring-for-the-human-race reason. You see, [...]

Larry King (not the CNN guy) over at Philly.com wrote an EXCELLENT piece on the ridiculous flaws with age-verification and those quick to applaud MySpace’s new agreement. PLEASE READ THIS: My unsafe space? Experts say a new pact won’t faze predators on MySpace.com. Age verification is a weak link. At the very end, he writes: [...]

I love it when experts downplay the sexual predator problem on MySpace and the Internet in general. They often say it is an extreme case and usually doesn’t happen – or is not the norm. Alright… but does that mean that these incidents are OK? No. Fine. So then, why should be parents be afraid? [...]

An interesting study was released that shows most of the unwanted solicitation of minors actually happens in chat rooms and via instant messaging. [Study comes from February issue of Pediatrics] Steven Reinberg of HealthDay Reporter compiled a report here: Social Networking Sites Safer Than IM or Chat Rooms. I, of course, encourage reading his article [...]

Another bill has been proposed to help protect kids online. But, to me, this one seems to make a bit more sense – as it is more committed to locking up the guys who are caught, rather than trying fruitlessly to deter the crime from happening. There’s no way you’re going to stop predators, but [...]