Internet Predator

            It started with a chat, an online chat. A typical boy meets girl situation, except that Dennis was 34 years old and Tara-15 (WLWT 2008).  Still no harm in that, right? They were just two strangers who chanced upon each other in this universe called cyberspace and had a pleasant conversation.   That’s a nice way to make friends.  In this time where social lives revolve around the web, a little attention from online friends is typical. Tara knew that, especially when girls her age also logged on to meet new people.  But the little attention she got from her friend Dennis turned into something else. “He told me he loved me all the time,” Tara confessed (2008). Tara was flabbergasted.  Initially claiming that she was 20, Tara blew her cover and admitted to Dennis her real age. Dennis, Tara said, was initially worried, but remained unfazed and expressed her interest in her so Tara continued chatting with him (2008).  What Tara didn’t know was that her Dennis was not just a 34 year old man; he was a 34 year old man who had been jailed 11 years for attempting to rape 2 young children (2008). For young Tara, her thoughts remained on the fact that an older wanted to sleep with him (2008).  One day, Dennis picked her up and had sex with him in a van parked at the local American Legion post parking lot (2008).  The incident scarred Tara so much that she’s now contemplating on going on MySpace again (2008).

            Tara’s story is common.  With the rampant popularity of chat rooms, YouTube, IMs, and online social sites like Facebook and MySpace, almost everyone is immersed in the universe called cyberspace. The truth is the World Wide Web is already part of our lives- make it easier for communication, research, photo sharing.  But the tool that makes our lives relevant and modern is also the very same tool that wrecks our lives-  internet porn, cyber sex and solicitation of minors on the Web.  According to a 2005 Pew Internet Study, the Internet is a one, big sanctuary for Internet predators and with more than 21 million children under 18 years old wired, the chances of falling prey to it doubles (Fulbright, 2008). Internet predators lurk in chat rooms, instant messaging, email and discussion boards (Microsoft, 2007).  They hide under the cloak of a screen name, enabling them to sweet talk children and teens into anything. These brief exchanges soon become sprinkled with obscenities and before a parent knows it, the kid has become of an internet predator. So what do we do if we or anybody we know becomes a victim of an internet predator?

            For Alicia Kozakiewicz, opening up to the public about her ordeal helped her.  And by public, Alicia meant the U.S. Congress House Committee (Smith, 2007). Kozakiewicz appeared in front of U.S. Congress not just to narrate her nightmare but to express what it has done to her.  Kozakiewicz, then 13, met her Internet predator through an online chat room (2007).  On New Year’s Day 2002, not only was she “kidnapped and held captive,” she got tortured and raped (2002).

            “I cry inside. I mourn for that child that was me. The child that was stolen from me Make no mistake- that child was murdered,” recalled Kozakiewicz. Her predator is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence (2007). Kozakiewicz’s experience was heartbreaking that some U.S. lawmakers have initiated bills that would give justice to the victims such as the Protect Our Children Act of 2007 and the Sex Offender Internet Prohibition Act of 2007 which metes out prison sentences of 5-10 years for convicted felons (2007). Additionally, if the bill is approved, these crooks would be required to have registered as sex offenders (2007).  Not only would that be necessary but humiliating to the criminal. Imaging meeting a new person online than after searching his name in the search engine, you’d discover that he’s a registered sex offender. It’s as if he left a trail for others to haunt them down.  For sure, parents would be able to heave a sigh of relief and perhaps be able to let this children spend their Internet time on their own instead of constantly hovering above them. Although monitoring their Internet is a smart idea. After all, it is better to be paranoid than be filled with guilt and blaming oneself later.

            Presently, there are laws enacted in support of safeguarding people, especially the youth, from Internet predators. There is the Child Online Privacy Protection Act (Public Law-105-277) which aims to shield the youth from publicity propaganda sans parental consent and the Prosecutorial Remedies and Other Tools to end the Exploitation of Children Today (PROTECT) Act (Public Law 108-21) which improved the law enforcement’s capacity to “investigate and prosecute” Internet child sexual exploitation cases (Wolak, Mitchell and Finkelhor, 2006).

            While telling our experience publicly may at first be uncomfortable and downright embarrassing, it is the first step in acknowledging that what happened was real, that it was not some nightmare that one could snap out of, no matter how much we wanted to.  By telling it so someone, the information spread and prevents future acts to follow. We need to understand the gravity of the situation. From the first act alone- if we feel that we are being threatened or sent sexual innuendos by people we meet over the Internet, we should report it to someone. The more we keep it to ourselves, the more dangerous it would become for the predator would think that we are entertaining it, that we like it. Opening the lines of communication is always a good step in solving problems. Hence, we should know where to report it.  Parents, guardians and friends are the ideal listening board.  However, there are times when it would probably be better to tell it to a stranger to avoid feeling less humiliated since it is an unfamiliar person compared to someone we know. The CyberTipline is mandated by the Congress to receive online and telephone reports of illegal online enticement and child pornography, among others (Wolak, Mitchell and Finkelhor, 2006).   Reaching out to others, be it family, police, doctors or those in position to address such problems,  may help us in the healing process.  It would also help in putting a stop to it so that others may not experience it.  One victim is enough.

            The Internet is infiltrated with millions of facts and figures that have already transformed the information age.  It is useful in communication, research and more importantly, has become an instrument in our social lives where anyone can be anonymous. In doing so, it has become a playground for Internet predators.  Remember the value that parents taught us when we were young, “don’t talk to stranger”? Let’s not forget that. While the government is doing its work in creating a safer environment, let us also do our share by being aware in all our Internet dealings.  Let there be no more Alicias and Taras to suffer.

References

Fulbright, Y. (2008). Protecting children from internet predators.

            Retrieved September 6, 2008, from http//www.foxnews.com

Microsoft (2007). Online predators: help minimize the risks. Retrieved

            September 6, 2008, from http://www.microsoft.com/

Smith, S. 2007. Rape victim alicia kozakiewicz recounts terrifying Internet predator attack.

            Retrieved September 6, 2008, from http://www.monstersandcritics.com

Wolak, J., Mitchell, K., and Finkelhor, D. (2006). Online victimization of youth:

            5 years later. Retrieved September 6, 2008, from http://www.unh.edu/ccrc

WLWT. (2008). Local Teen Meets Sex Offender On MySpace. Retrieved September 8,
from http://www.wlwt.com/news/16897934/detail.html.