Project Safe Childhood

The growing number of online sexual-exploitation crimes against children is a threat to all our children. Project Safe Childhood is dedicated both to prosecuting and punishing these offenders and to educating children and parents about the dangers.

The number of child exploitation cases prosecuted by the U.S. attorney's office in the Eastern District of Missouri has more than tripled since 2000. This rise is due to the increased use of the Internet by child predators to trade child pornography images and to solicit children. Child predators use chat rooms, groups, instant messaging, social-networking sites, file-sharing programs, online gaming sites and Web cams to solicit children for sex acts and to trade child pornography.

Federal, state and local law enforcement are working together to target these dangerous offenders. In eastern Missouri, the U.S. attorney's office works closely with the FBI, the Postal Inspection Service, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Secret Service as well as with local police departments, the Regional Computer Crime Education and Enforcement Group and the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

However, these prosecution efforts will not be effective without education of parents and children about the dangers of child predators on the Internet. The U.S. attorneys in Missouri have partnered with INOBTR ("I know better") to educate the community about Internet safety.

The program involves the creation of the Web site www.inobtr.org and a comprehensive public awareness program that includes online banners, billboard, television and radio, print and transit public-service announcements. Nick Lachey, music industry celebrity, is the celebrity spokesman for the campaign.

Parents should talk to their children about their expectations and ground rules for going online. Should the child be able to visit chat rooms? Should the child be able to create an online profile (such as on MySpace or Facebook)? Should the child be communicating with individuals whom they have met online? Children often do not view individuals that they have met online as strangers and do not perceive them as a danger. Parents need to caution their children not to share any personal information (full name, address, telephone number, school name or photographs) with individuals that they have met on the Internet.

Parents should inform their children that they should never respond to any online communication that makes them feel uncomfortable and that they should show the message to their parents or another trusted adult. In addition, parents should emphasize to their children that they should never meet in person with anyone whom they have first met online without discussing it with their parents.

A coordinated effort by the community and law enforcement will keep our children safe on the internet.

Catherine L. Hanaway of St. Louis is the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri.