Starke County Prosecutor Leslie Baker urges parents and guardians to be mindful of what their children may be exposed to online.
She stated that the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children recorded 4.1 million reports of cyber abuse against children in April of this year, four times as many complaints received in April 2019.
Baker said online predators can pretend to be many different people on many different sites in an attempt to befriend children and teens before trying to coerce them into sending photos or videos or even meeting in person.
She added parents and guardians have to be diligent in monitoring social media use, staying up to date on the latest apps and trends as well as having open conversations about internet safety.
The online site commonsensemedia.org is a resource to use for many issues and can instruct parents and guardians on how to use parental controls on devices.
For more information or to talk to a representative in the Prosecutor’s Office about internet safety, call 574-772-6267.
