Panel Presentation Aimed to Help Parents Keep Children Safe from Online Predators

The Educational Service Center (ESC) of Northeast Ohio in partnership with the Geauga County Sheriff’s Office and Berkshire Local Schools hosted a panel discussion in Berkshire Schools’ Auditorium on Monday, November 13.

The presentation entitled, “Yeah it happens here: Child pornography, grooming, abduction and sextortion” was aiming to educate parents on strategies and online platforms sexual predators use to contact and lure children into unsafe situations. 

The six panelists presented factual information as well as recounted true stories they’ve encountered in their lines of work. The panel included: Scott Christopher from the Geauga County Prosecutor’s Office’s Child Advocacy Center, Geauga County Sheriff’s Office Detective Don Seamon, Geauga County Sheriff’s Office Victim Advocate Tracy Jordan, and all from the ESC of Northeast Ohio, Prevention Specialist Jennie Canganelli, Wellness Coordinator Karen Lackey, and Prevention Consultant Holly Jacobson. 

They advised parents to monitor students' phones, socials, and locations regularly, as well as giving tips on how to speak to their children about these topics. They gave tips on how to identify dangerous phone, computer, and social media applications that are used to pull children into unsafe situations that may result in abduction, sexual assault, suicide, or murder. They also provided a list of applications that children and young adults have on their phone that are known to law enforcement and other organizations as being frequently used by predators.