For Immediate Release Contacts: SA Deborah McCarley
DATE: September 6, 2007 FBI
-
Sgt.
Robb Harry
(928)
855-1171
ACT SAFE BE SMART ON LINE
LAKE HAVASU CITY, Ariz. – Graduates
of the
The Internet is a target rich environment as sexual predators use the Internet to locate, befriend and manipulate your child in your presence and within your home. There are a number of things you can do to protect your child from these predators and there are warning signs your child is being stalked online. This course will teach adults how to protect their children and how to recognize when their children are being coaxed and conned by an online predator as this can happen to their child. The course will also provide parents with the eye opening experience of reality as they will observe an undercover agent’s chat session with an online predator. Parents will see how quick online predators will approach and start communicating with their children.
FBI Special Agent in Charge John Lewis stated, “I fully support the efforts of the FBI Citizen’s Academy Alumni for producing this critical program. The FBI has investigated too many incidents where predators travel several states away from their homes to locate, abduct, sexually assault and sometimes tragically kill, the children they befriend online.”
“The Lake
Havasu City Police Department is committed to protecting the children of
President
Linda McSweeney added, “The
Citizen Police Academy Alumni Association embraces this program. I can
recall this particular class during my enrolment and how affected the entire
class was. This was an emotional issue for all of us as community members,
parents and grandparents ourselves. I don’t think any of the class
members had any idea as to the extent of this problem. Lake Havasu
City is known as being an extremely safe and secure community to live in,
albeit, this also creates a false sense of security and a “this could not
happen to me” attitude”.
The mission of the Lake Havasu City
Citizen Police Academy Alumni Association is to provide continuing education
and increase community involvement, while supporting the Lake Havasu City
Police Department in its mission to ensure a safe and secure community. In keeping with this mission, the Lake Havasu
City Citizen Police Academy Alumni Association is proud to host this event as
its first community project in bringing this Internet Sexual Predator class to
Parents, grandparents, and guardians of children of all ages are strongly encouraged to attend. The program will focus on the real dangers presented by the Internet and will provide parents with valuable tools to ensure the continued safety of their children.
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