Access to computers by children is viewed in our society as a critical bridge to success. Recently, concern has arisen at a national policy level that not enough youth are being taught how to use computers to make use of the library that is the Internet. Unfortunately, the Internet provides criminals with a global and interactive platform for finding victims of all kinds. Along with access to the World Wide Web comes risk that children and youth will have contact with adult predators whose interest is child sexual exploitation. The Internet provides offenders with privacy, anonymity, and instant gratification. Computer chat rooms and/or newsgroups offer an online hunting ground on which to solicit children for sexual activity. 

NCMEC Research shows that one in four children on the web have been unwillingly exposed to pornography.

     The scope of this problem is not clearly documented but practitioners deem it frightening. In its first year of operation, the Cyber Tipline funded by Congress and managed by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received over 7,000 reports from Internet users.Those reports involved sites that contained child pornography, incidents of child enticement, or other on-line activity that could lead to child sexual exploitation. Once reported to law enforcement agencies, those reports resulted in 460 arrests of offenders.
   Internet crimes have found their way into every community in this nation, including East Tennessee. Cases handled by the Knoxville Police Department are typical of the threat the Internet can pose for children and the obstacles law enforcement faces in making cases against offenders.
       While many sites that cater to teenagers sound innocent enough - with topics such as movies, music, hobbies, fashion, likes and dislikes - the chatrooms on many of these sites mostly end up with discussions about sex. In many cases, child and teenage-porn images are posted on these sites. According to a study released last summer by NCMEC, one in five children who used the Internet had been approached by perpetrators in the past year, and one in four had been unwillingly exposed to pornography. For example, if your child innocently searches the Net for toys, typing in the word 'toy' will lead to children's toy sites - but what will also come up are sites such as adult toys stores, often with an invitation to visit its chatroom. It is in these chatrooms that predators make friends with children. They gain children's trust by confiding their secrets and encouraging them to be friends. They also often pose as children, sending fake photographs of a child as identification. Once a predator has befriended the vulnerable child, he/she may suggest a meeting. It is vital that parents be alert to predator activity on the Net.
    The problem of Internet crimes against children will continue to get worse as technology develops and more children are encouraged to use the Internet. It is the community's responsibility to assist in preventing Internet crimes. Parents, law enforcement, legislators, and children themselves need to be aware of the problem and work together to stop this crime. To learn how you can help prevent your child from becoming a victim, click here.