12/31/2007 10:00:37 AM

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 The wonderful new technologies associated with the Internet can also introduce new dangers for children. Accessing the Internet creates a link with millions of people and is like posting information in any public place. Unfortunately there are people who use the Internet for selfish purposes or to do illegal and malicious things.

Dangerous people existed long before the advent of online technology; however, the Internet can provide many advantages for individuals who are interested in sexually exploiting children. The Internet provides instant access to potential child victims worldwide. Chatrooms, instant-messaging programs, e-mail, web sites, and other file-sharing services can be used to build a relationship with a potential victim, prior to attempting to engage the child in physical contact. The Internet allows predators to disguise their identity � they can pretend to be another child. Also the Internet can be used to identify and track down home-contact information of victims.¹

Saul Dos Reis, David Fuller, Beth Loschin, Joel Rensberger, Michael Shipman, Scott Tyree, and James Warren all have something in common. They are all alleged child molesters who used the Internet to meet their victims. Why are some people child molesters? The short answer is that no one really knows. The more complicated answer is that there may be any number of precipitating factors.

Some child molesters are pedophiles. A pedophile is a person who has a sexual preference for prepubescent children and fantasies about having sex with them. But if he or she does not act on these fantasies, then he or she is not a child molester. To complicate matters, not all child molesters are pedophiles. People who prefer to have sex with adults may force themselves on a child. Reasons for this may include simple availability, opportunity, curiosity, or a desire to hurt a loved one of the molested child. Some adults may feel more in control with a child than with someone their own age. This power ratio felt with a young person might make them feel more secure.²

Some argue that teenagers should not be seen as children, especially if they have made the choice to meet someone for sex. Legal definitions of who is considered a child or minor vary from state-to-state and even statute-to-statute when dealing with adolescent victims. Sixteen year olds may be able to consent to have sex with the man down the street, but not with their father or schoolteacher.³

It is important to note that many older child victims may have initiated the contact with the adult predator. "It is the myth of the typical child victim as a completely innocent young girl walking down the street minding her own business.. Child victims can be boys as well as girls, and older as well as younger," said Ken Lanning, retired Supervisory Special Agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).⁴

Christina Long allegedly published a racy web site, used almost a dozen provocative screennames and routinely had sex with partners she met in various chatrooms. Christina was also the 13-year-old captain of her school cheerleading squad and an altar girl. The principal of her Catholic school in the small New England town where she lived described her as a "sweet girl" who was very well-mannered. Christina was found strangled in a remote ravine in New York state, three days after she disappeared. Saul Dos Reis, 25, confessed to the killing and led police to the body.⁵

"Sympathy for victims is inversely proportional to their age and sexual development," said Ken Lanning. Teenagers, especially those who are sexually promiscuous, may not be seen in the same angelic light as younger children.⁶ But rape is rape, and the rape of children between the ages of 13 and 17 can rob them of their innocence and trust for a lifetime. This of course only pertains to the children who survive.

In Chamblee, Georgia, a 40-year-old car dealer was charged with raping a 13-year-old girl he befriended during online chat sessions. Police say Michael Shipman, claiming to be 17, initiated a chat friendship with the girl and got her address. Investigators say that Shipman posed as a repairman, attacked her in her home twice, and raped her during the second attack.⁷

Sexual predators frequent various chatrooms looking for children. These predators target likely victims, make contact, and work to develop friendship, emotional reliance, and interest in sexual topics. He or she may initiate offline sexual relations quickly or spend months "grooming" the child towards a sexual relationship. Sexual predators may use material goods, such as compact discs and games, to attract children offline. There have been cases in which predators have sent children bus tickets or money to cover the cost of travel or traveled to meet children.⁸

A 13-year-old girl in Minneapolis, Minnesota, allegedly met Joel Rensberger in a chatroom. After a telephone conversation, she agreed to meet him, believing that he was 18. The eighth grader told police that Rensberger took her to a motel. Once they got there she said he gave her a video game to play and some wine coolers to drink. Rensberger then allegedly raped the 13-year-old while she struggled to push him away and told him to stop. After the assault, she says they left the hotel and Rensberger drove her home.⁹

Thirteen-year-old Kacie Rene Woody allegedly met David Fuller in a chatroom on the Internet. The bodies of Kacie and Fuller were found shot to death in a van at a storage facility in Arkansas. Inside Kacie's home, police found evidence that she fought for her life including broken eyeglasses, a chair propped against a door, and all of her shoes indicating that she left the house without wearing any. Authorities said that Fuller struck up an Internet relationship with Kacie and might have tricked her into believing that he was a teenager.¹⁰

The natural characteristics of children may facilitate victimization. Children of all ages have a lack of emotional maturity that can make them more susceptible to manipulation or intimidation. They also have a strong desire for attention, validation, and affection along with a lack of caution or self-preservation. Children are taught to obey adult requests and demands and may be less likely to know when it isn't appropriate to do so. In addition children are naturally curious about sex and other "forbidden" topics. It is important to note that children also may be hesitant to tell a trusted adult if they are approached in an inappropriate way, because of a feeling of embarrassment or the stigma of being a "tattletale."¹¹

Scott Tyree is described as a long-haired computer geek who likes science fiction and computer games. But on New Year's Day 2002, Tyree allegedly picked up a 13-year-old girl from her home in Pennsylvania and drove her to Virginia. At first investigators didn't know what they were up against since the girl disappeared from her home without a coat or money at about 6 P.M. during dinner. They were, however, able to track down Tyree through his Internet communications and found the girl three days later chained to the bed in Tyree's townhome.¹²

James Warren, 41, and Beth Loschin, 46, allegedly held a 15-year-old girl for a week in their home in New York, where they repeatedly assaulted her sexually and beat her. The young girl was also brought to the home of a third alleged abuser who threatened to kill her if she did not follow orders. Warren and Loschin convinced the high school sophomore to meet them at the outlet mall where she worked. The girl originally met Loschin and Warren in an online chatroom where the couple offered to help the girl run away from home.¹³

Sexual predators target children online while maintaining relative anonymity. The nature of online interaction facilitates deception about the predator's identity, age, and intentions. Millions of children online form a large pool from which predators can select victims.¹⁴

Remember to approach the new Internet technologies with safety in mind. Communicate with your children about the dangers of giving out personal information and meeting in person with people first met online. Visit www.NetSmartz.org for more information on Internet safety.