Warning about child predators on internet issued by Mississippi U.S. Attorney

As kids return to school, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi launched an on-line video public service announcement (PSA) designed to raise awareness about the increasing number of child predators seeking to exploit children on the internet.

The PSA video, which is available on-line, features United States Attorney Todd Gee and provides information about the importance of being aware of your child’s use of digital technologies, ways child predators are using technology to exploit children, and how to report child exploitation. The PSA highlights the risk of child predators using digital technology to engage in “sextortion,” a type of blackmail used by predators over the internet to acquire sexual content from a child. That person may use deceit, coercion, or another method to obtain a nude or sexual image of the child before blackmailing them for money or more content.

As discussed in the PSA, in the Southern District of Mississippi, the U.S. Attorney’s office is fortunate to work with the Internet Crimes Against Children Task force, a coalition of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies who specialize in hunting down these child predators.

“Back to school season is a great time to remind parents to be aware of the ways your children are connected to the internet—from cell phones to gaming systems and social media—and how child predators can use these digital technologies to exploit children,” said U.S. Attorney Gee. “I encourage parents to watch this PSA, be aware of the risks of digital technology, and report any potential sextortion or other forms of child exploitation.”

If you believe your child has been a victim of sextortion or other forms of child exploitation, preserve the evidence, take screenshots, write down names, usernames, and phone numbers, and report the information to your local FBI field office or online at https://tips.fbi.gov/home.

For additional information, please visit the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children website at https://www.missingkids.org.

The U.S. Attorney’s PSA can be found at Internet Safety PSA and on the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s X and Facebook pages.