>>VIC MICOLUCCI: AS KIDS HEAD BACK TO SCHOOL, IT IS SO VERY IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT
THERE ARE ALL SORTS OF ONLINE
DANGERS WITH MANY STUDENTS NOW
HAVING EASIER ACCESS TO
TECHNOLOGY THAT DANGER LINGERS
EVEN CLOSER. FBI SPECIAL AGENT
CJ GOODMAN IS JOINING US WITH
TIPS ON KEEPING YOUR KIDS SAFE
ONLINE. GOOD MORNING TO YOU,
SIR. YOU AND I HAVE WORKED
TOGETHER ON SEVERAL BIG
STORIES THAT INVOLVE PREDATORS
GOING AFTER CHILDREN. AND THAT
THREAT IS OUT THERE EVERY
SINGLE DAY. 24 7,
UNFORTUNATELY, THAT IS
ABSOLUTELY TRUE. SO YOU LEAVE
THE UNIT HERE WITH FBI
JACKSONVILLE THAT LOOKS FOR
PEOPLE COMMITTING CRIMES
AGAINST CHILDREN. WHAT ARE YOU
SEEING? WHAT’S THE LATEST WITH
THE TRENDS HERE?
>> SO WE’RE SEEING A DEFINITE
UPTICK IN SEXTORTION CASES.
WE’RE SEEING A DEFINITE UPTICK
JUST EXPLOITATION OF KIDS JUST
AS NEW APPLICATIONS COME OUT,
CHATTING IS JUST A POPULAR
THING. IT JUST CONTINUES TO
RISE AND RISE AND RISE BECAUSE
PEOPLE CONTINUE TO SEEK OUT
CHILDREN AND PREY ON THEM AND
EXPLOIT THEM. AND WHAT KIND OF
CHILD ARE THEY LOOKING FOR?
WHAT?
>>VIC MICOLUCCI: WHAT’S THE
DEMOGRAPHIC? I KNOW THEY’RE
THEY’RE LOOKING FOR SOMEBODY
THAT IS IMPRESSIONABLE.
>> AND THAT IS A CHILD. FAR
THERE IS NO DEMOGRAPHIC. IT IS
BOYS, WE SEE THEM AS YOUNG AS
9 AND THEN ALL THE WAY UP TO A
COURSE FOR US. IT’S UNDER THE
AGE OF 18. SO 9 TO 17 ARE
BEING EXPLOITED WE’RE
CERTAINLY HAVE SOME YOUNGER
THAN THAT. JUST THAT DON’T
HAVE ACCESS TO THE DEVICES.
THERE’S NO THERE’S NO SET
VICTIM. IT’S IT’S ALL OF FOR
SURE.
>>VIC MICOLUCCI: I KNOW THAT
YOU AND THE TEAM OF FBI
JACKSONVILLE HAVE BEEN WORKING
REALLY HARD REALLY HARD OVER
THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS TO
EDUCATE THESE PARENTS TO BE
PROACTIVE INSTEAD OF BEING
REACTIVE. WHAT ARE YOU TELLING
PARENTS ABOUT GETTING INVOLVED
WE’RE SAYING THAT THERE IS NO
SUBSTITUTE FOR AN IMPORT
INVOLVED, PARENT, GUARDIAN OR
THERE’S NO EASY BUTTON UP.
PARENTAL CONTROLS ARE
IMPORTANT.
>>VIC MICOLUCCI: FOR SURE. BUT
THERE’S THERE’S NO SUBSTITUTE
FOR JUST BEING ACTIVE IN YOUR
KID’S LIFE. SO WE EXPLAIN IT
TO THE PARENTS LIKE THIS. YOU
WOULD NEVER JUST THROW A KID
ON THE SUBWAY IN NEW YORK AND
SAY GO FIND FRIENDS. IT WILL
BE FINED WHERE YOU NEVER DO
THAT. AND YET WE SEE PARENTS
GIVING THIS DEVICE TO A CHILD
WITH NO EXPLANATION OF WHAT
THE CAPABILITIES ARE, WHAT THE
DANGERS ARE THAT ARE OUT
THERE. AND THAT’S WHAT WE’RE
IMPLORING PARENTS TO DO IS
HE’S GET INVOLVED USE OF THAT
DEVICE. YOU’VE GOT THIS PHONE
AND LITERALLY YOUR CHILD COULD
BE CONNECTED TO ANYBODY IN THE
WORLD.
>> AND THEY DON’T KNOW WHO IT
IS, RIGHT? SO THAT IS ONE OF
THE BIG DANGERS THAT WE TELL
KIDS AND PARENTS IS AUDIO
VIDEO. THE CAN BE MANIPULATED.
YOU DON’T TRULY KNOW WHO
YOU’RE TALKING TO UNLESS
YOU’RE SITTING IN FRONT OF
THEM LIKE YOU AND I ARE TODAY.
SO YOU’VE GOT TO BE WARY OF
THAT FOR SURE. YEAH. SO
>>VIC MICOLUCCI: WE WANT TO
TALK ABOUT THE CONVERSATIONS.
IT’S NOT EASY TO TALK TO A
PRETEEN OR A TEENAGER AND SAY,
HEY, LOOK, THERE’S DANGERS OUT
THERE BUT YEAH, OKAY, MOM,
DAD, I’VE HEARD ABOUT IT. HOW
DO YOU BRIDGE THAT GAP? AND IT
IS MOST CERTAINLY WE’RE
TALKING THE EXPLOITATION OF
CHILDREN ONLINE. THAT’S A
TOUGH TOPIC.
>>VIC MICOLUCCI: BUT WE WOULD
SAVE YOU IF THEY ALREADY HAVE
A DEVICE IN YOUR HAND IN THEIR
HAND. AND YOU HAVEN’T HAD A
CONVERSATION. YOU’RE NOT
REALLY HELPING THEM. SO TRY TO
HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS
EARLY. THERE ARE RESOURCES
ONLINE THROUGH THE NATIONAL
CENTER FOR MISSING EXPLOITED
CHILDREN SAFE ONLINE SURFING
THEIR APPLICATIONS OUT THERE
THAT WILL HELP YOU START THOSE
CONVERSATIONS AND WE ADVOCATE
FOR YOU TRULY TO START THOSE
CONVERSATIONS AS EARLY AS
POSSIBLE. I DO WANT TO POINT
OUT THAT THE FBI RECENTLY TOOK
PART IN OPERATION CROSS
COUNTRY. CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHAT
THAT IS AND WHAT AGENTS
ACTUALLY LEARNED FROM THAT
NATIONALLY SO THAT THAT IS A
DEDICATED SURGE OF RESOURCES.
BOTH FEDERAL STATE, LOCAL
PARTNERS WERE WE OVER 400
OPERATIONS OCCURRED OVER 2
WEEKS WHERE WE WERE TRYING TO
LOCATE AND IDENTIFY CHILDREN
THAT WERE BEING SEXUALLY
EXPLOITED MINERS THAT WERE
BEING TRAFFICKED THROUGH THAT
THE FBI AND ITS PARTNERS
RECOVERED OVER MINERS THAT
WERE BEING SEXUALLY YEAH. AND
OVER 30 MISSING CHILDREN. AND
SO THAT’S A DEDICATED THING
THAT WE DO EVERY YEAR. AND WE
JUST FIND THAT THE AIR THERE
IS NO SHORTAGE OF KIDS THAT
ARE BEING EXPLOITED UP THERE
FOR SURE. I KNOW THAT YOU AND
YOUR TEAM ARE WORKING AGAIN
AND AGAIN TO MAKE SURE THAT
YOU HAVE THE SEMINARS TO TEACH
THESE PARENTS. FINALLY, WE’VE
GOT TO GO. BUT IF PEOPLE WANT
TO GET INVOLVED HERE IN THE
JACKSONVILLE AREA, NORTHEAST
FLORIDA, SOUTHEAST GEORGIA,
THEY REACH OUT TO OTHER WILL
DO REACH OUT TO OUR OFFICE.
I’M A MAN OF IDOLS IS OUR
POINT OF CONTACT. WE HAVE A
COMMUNITY WITH JOSH NC. YOU
CAN LOOK US UP ON SOCIAL FOR
THE FBI. WE WILL PUT YOU IN
CONTACT WITH RESOURCES TO HELP
YOU EITHER PUT ON SEMINARS PUT
ON CLASSES. WE BE SAFE WITH
YOUR SMART, YOUR KID
SMARTPHONE PRESENTATION THAT
WE PARTNER WITH THE DUVAL
COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT WITH
OTHERS. SO THERE’S A LOT OF
RESOURCES OUT THERE. BUT WE DO
AS PARENTS TO TO LOOK THOSE
LIGHTS OUT. ALRIGHT, FBI