COLUMBUS, Ohio — It's a known fact that kids are using technology at a much higher rate these days since they're not in school buildings.
But Attorney General Dave Yost said, "When they're using devices, they're not alone. I don't mean to minimize the danger on the street, but really the bad guys aren't out there in the bushes. They're in your kids tablet or your phone."
Yost is very concerned because reporting of crimes involving kids shifted.
- Place devices out in the open
- Google searches for pornography typically go up in the summer, but parents need to be on the lookout now for predators
- Know the red flags for cyber crime involving kids
Prior to COVID-19, Yost said, "A lot of things that have come to the authorities comes through the schools and teachers and principals and guidance counselors." But with school being online now, Franklin County Sheriff's officials say reports by school officials are down. And now, reports at least in central and southeast Ohio are coming in from internet providers and parents seeing a child's online activity.
Earlier this year, a man lured a teenage girl into a romantic relationship.
"He ended up offering her for sale online. We had 24 different ads offering a 14-year-old girl for sex, for money," said Yost.
The man is now facing up to 38 years in federal prison.
"And until a child goes missing or there's an arrest somewhere along the line, we don't know a lot of what happens," said Yost.
But Yost said they want to catch people before it gets to that point, and parents can help.
"Put the computer out in the living room. Put the computer in the dining room. There's no need for you to provide a room with a door that closes so that the child can get on a computer and spend hours of non-schooltime interacting with people that you don't even know who they are," said Yost.
While there are apps parents can use for monitoring, Yost said there's something more basic that can be done.
"The other thing is just old-fashioned parenting. You know they're gonna object. They're gonna whine, but your kid living in your house does not have a right to privacy. Put on your big parent pants and protect them," Yost said.
Although Google searches for pornography typically go up in the summer, Yost believes the bottom line during COVID-19 is that parents need to be on the lookout for red flags, like sexual conversations, shared explicit images or the liking of online posts by potential predators — all while using parent controls. And that way, if you suspect something you can then call your local police or sheriff's department.
You can also call the Attorney General's Office if you suspect something is going on with a cyber predator.
To learn more about the red flags of cyber crime involving kids, log onto the NCMEC website.