Internet crimes against children on the rise in Idaho

Internet crimes against children on the rise in Idaho

TRY TO EXPLOITCHILDRENAND DURING THEPANDEMIC... KIDS'SCREEN TIME HASONLY INCREASED.OUR FRANKIEKATAFIAS SHARESHOW THAT'SINCREASINGCASELOADS FORIDAHO'S INTERNETCRIMES AGAINSTCHILDREN TASKFORCE.IDAHO ICAC HASSEEN A NOTABLEINCREASE IN TIPS INTHE PAST EIGHTWEEKSTHE UNIT TELLING USTHEY'VE OPENED 171NEWINVESTIGATIONS.TOPUT THAT INPERSPECTIVE THISTIME LAST YEAR THEYOPENED 88.

THAT'SABOUT A 94 PERCENTINCREASE.WE'VE GOT A LOT OFPREDATORS THATARE EITHER OUT OFWORK RIGHT NOWOR THETELECOMMUTINGWHICH LEAVES INTHAT MUCH MOREUNSUPERVISED TIMEBEHIND A COMPUTERTHE SPIKE IN CASESARE ALSOATTRIBUTED TOCHILDREN ANDYOUNG TEENSSPENDING MOREUNSUPERVISED TIMEON THEIR DEVICES.THE NORMALSUMMERTIMEACTIVITIES LIKESOCCERBASKETBALLGYMNASTICS GOTCANCELED ORSIGNIFICANTLYRESTRICTED SOMANY OF THEM ARETURNING TO ONLINEGAMING OR SOCIALMEDIA TO PASS THETIME,UNFORTUNATELY,BOTH OF THOSE ARETHE GATEWAYS FORPREDATORS TOREACH OURCHILDRENTHESE CASES ARECOMING FROMDIFFERENTPLATFORMS AS KIDSAND ADULTS SPENDMORE TIME ONSOCIAL MEDIADURING THISPANDEMIC.FROM 6 TO 17 SOCIALMEDIA FROMFACEBOOK TOTIKTOK ANDANYTHING THAT HASTHE PREDATOR HASTHE ABILITY TOREACH OUT TO ACHILD THEY USE ITSO THERE'S NO ONEMORE SO THAN THEOTHER OR IF IT ISTHEN NEXT WEEKIT'S SOMETHINGDIFFERENTWITH OVER 600CASES IN THEIRDEPARTMENT, 20 TO80 NEW CASES EACHWEEK,INVESTIGATORS AREWORKING WITHABOUT 100 CASESEACH DAY HOWEVERTHERE MAY BE HOPEIN THESE NUMBERSAS MORE PARENTSWORKING FROMHOME MEANS MOREINTERVENTIONWE'VE SEEN A LOTMORENOTIFICATIONS ORPARENTS AREGETTING INVOLVED ALITTLE EARLIER ANDLETTING LAW-ENFORCEMENTKNOW SO I THINKSOME OF THESENUMBERS CAN BEATTRIBUTED TOPARENTS ACTUALLYPAYING ATTENTIONANDUNDERSTANDINGWHAT'S GOING ONAND INVOLVINGLAW-ENFORCEMENTSOONER RATHERTHAN LATER AND ITHINK THAT'S GREATFOR IDAHO NEWS 6I'M FRANKIE KATAFIASWITH THE HELP OFLOCALENFORCEMENT ANDICAC WE'VECOMPILED A LIST OFWAYS YOU CAN KEEPYOUR KIDS SAFE.THAT INFORMATIONCAN BE FOUND ON