>>JENNIFER WAUGH: A JACKSONVILLE PASTOR AND PRIVATE SCHOOL TEACHER IS IN JAIL
ACCUSED
OF MOLESTATION.
>>VIC MICOLUCCI: THE DETAILS
ARE DISTURBING WE WANT TO WARN
YOU 70 YEAR-OLD JAMES JOHNSON
IS ACCUSED OF INVITING A
STUDENT OVER TO
HIS HOUSE TO HAVE INVESTIGATORS
SAY THEY FOUND MESSAGES BETWEEN
JOHNSON AND THE STUDENT ON APPS
LIKE TIKTOK AND TEXT ME.
HE TOLD DETECTIVES THOSE WERE
HIS MESSAGES. BUT HE
DID NOT SAY HE HAD RELATIONS
WITH THE GIRL HE ACTUALLY
DENIED THOSE ALLEGATIONS.
YESTERDAY I SPOKE WITH OFFICER
SHY AND SNYDER SHE HAS WORKED A
CHILD ABUSE CASES. SHE SAYS ALL
PARENTS MUST BE
ON GUARD.
>>LAUREN VERNO: A LOT OF TIMES
AT SOMEONE THE CHILD KNOWS SO
IT’S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR
PARENTS TO TALK TO THEIR
CHILDREN AND HAVE THEM BE
WILLING TO COME TO THE PARENT
ABOUT THINGS.
>>VIC MICOLUCCI: WE HAVE
LEARNED THAT JOHNSON ALSO
WORKING CLAY COUNTY PUBLIC
SCHOOLS IN THE PAST AS A
CONTRACTOR, MOST LIKELY A
SUBSTITUTE TEACHER POLICE ARE
ASKING ANYONE WITH INFORMATION
ABOUT HIM OR MORE POTENTIAL
VICTIMS TO COME FORWARD RIGHT
AWAY.
THIS IS ANOTHER WAKE-UP CALL
FOR LOCAL FAMILIES WE NEED TO
WATCH OVER OUR CHILDREN.
SO LET’S BRING IN COLLEEN
RODRIGUEZ, THE EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR OF JEWISH FAMILY AND
COMMUNITY SERVICES COLLEEN
THANK YOU FOR COMING ON FOR
THIS DIFFICULT TOPIC.
THE INTERNET IS SUCH A
DANGEROUS PLACE NOWADAYS AND WE
HAVE TO HAVE THOSE
CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR KIDS
WHETHER WE LIKE IT OR NOT IT’S
NOT EASY TO DO, BUT WE NEED TO
DO IT.
>> IT’S VERY DIFFICULT TO HAVE
THESE CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR
KIDS AND TALKING ABOUT THINGS
THAT MAY
BE EXCITING. IT’S NOT TIME TO
HAVE THE EDUCATION TALK BUT YOU
HAVE TO HAVE THAT EARLIER
EARLIER THESE DAYS. BUT IT
IS CRITICAL
BECAUSE WE’RE SEEING THIS IS
UNFORTUNATELY THIS IS THE FIRST
NEWS STORY WE’VE SEEN ABOUT
THIS HAPPENING AND IT WON’T BE
THE LAST. WE HAVE TO START
TAKING ACTION
AS PARENTS.
>>VIC MICOLUCCI: YOU AND YOUR
TEAM WORK WITH CHILDREN AND
FAMILIES ALL OF
THE TIME. WHAT MAKES A CHILD
MORE VULNERABLE THAN OTHERS
BECAUSE THERE’S CERTAINLY SOME
WEAK POINTS THAT THESE
PREDATORS ARE
LOOKING FOR.
>> WELL RIGHT NOW DURING THE
PANDEMIC AND STUDIES ARE BEING
DONE ALL THE TIME ABOUT
KIDS OVER HOW MANY HOURS A DAY
ON SOCIAL MEDIA JUST A FEW
HOURS BEFORE THE PANDEMIC AND
NOW.
>> AVERAGING OVER 4 HOURS.
>> SO
JUST ACCESS. THERE ARE SO MANY
DIFFERENT SITES. THEY’RE USED
TO THE ONLY FACEBOOK AND NOW
IT’S ALL WEEKEND SAW PLENTY OF
THEM. CASES GOT VERY SMART THEY
CAN OPEN THEM
A FACEBOOK PAGE OR OR A CERTAIN
KIND OF PAGE AND
HAVE THAT IF THEIR CARE ACCESS
TO THAT PAGE OPEN ANOTHER ONE
WITH THEIR PARENT DOESN’T EVEN
KNOW ABOUT SO KIDS ARE GETTING
SMARTER AND THERE’S THERE’S
MORE OPPORTUNITY. BUT I ALSO
THINK KIDS ARE ISOLATED,
ESPECIALLY THOSE THAT ARE AT
HOME. THEY’RE LOOKING FOR
FRIENDS. THEY’RE NOT HAVING THE
SAME SOCIAL ACTIVITIES AND SO
WHEN SOMEONE WANTS TO BE FROM
THEM ON ONLINE AND SAYING NICE
THINGS SAYING ALL THE RIGHT
THINGS THAT
DOESN’T ICING.
>>VIC MICOLUCCI: AND A LOT OF
PEOPLE WOULD CALL THAT GROOMING
AND CAN BE A LONG PROCESS
SOMEONE SLOWLY GAMES, THEIR
TRUST AND THAT GETS A CHILD TO
DO WHAT THEY WANT THEM TO DO
HOW DO WE STOP THAT. AND FIRST
OF ALL HOW DO WE RECOGNIZE
THAT.
>> DO WE REALLY NEED TO PAY
ATTENTION TO OUR CHILDREN’S
BEHAVIOR ARE THEY BECOMING
MORE SECRETIVE. ALL RIGHT
TODAY’S TO SIT NEXT TO YOU WHEN
THEY ARE ON THE COMPUTER AND
NOW THEY WANT TO BE IN A ROOM
WITH THE
DOOR SHOT IS THEIR LANGUAGE
CHANGING ARE THEY STARTING TO
NO WORDS THAT MANY ARE NOT
AGE APPROPRIATE IS THEIR
BEHAVIOR TOWARD YOU CHANGING
VERY OFTEN THE GROOMING
PROCESS IS I’M YOUR FRIEND OR
YOUR PARENTS
NOT GREAT. YOU KNOW THIS IS A
SECRET BETWEEN YOU AND ME YOU
DON’T HAVE TO TELL THEM THEY
WOULD UNDERSTAND AND IT IS
CRITICAL THAT OUR CHILDREN NOW
THAT THERE ARE SEVERAL ADULTS
OUT THERE THAT WILL ACT LIKE
CHILDREN THAT THEY ARE NOT
THEY’RE PRETENDING ARE LYING
AND THAT THERE IS NEVER
CIRCUMSTANCE WHERE AND ADULTS
SHOULD TELL A CHILD TO HAVE A
SECRET FROM THEIR PARENTS THAT
IS
NOT OKAY. SO WE HAVE TO SET THE
GROUND RULES EARLY WITH OUR
CHILDREN AND I I HATE TO PUT
FEAR IN CHILDREN BUT THERE
REALLY ISN’T NEEDS TO BE
ELEMENTS OF NOT EVERYONE
PRESENT
TO FULLY IT SHOULD BE NO
SECRETS AND YOU WILL NOT GET IN
TROUBLE IF YOU COME TO ME,
LET’S COMMUNITY YOU’RE NOT IN
TROUBLE, YOU ARE THE CHILD YOU
SEE ON POSSIBLE. YOU NEED TO
COME AND TALK TO ME.
>>VIC MICOLUCCI: CALLING THERE
ARE SOME CIRCUMSTANCES WHERE
PARENTS ARE JUST OVERWHELMED
AND REALLY EVERYTHING THAT THEY
TRY IN
GOOD FAITH ISN’T WORKING WHEN
DO YOU GO AND GET PROFESSIONAL
HELP.
>> I REALLY FEEL LIKE THERE’S A AGE IS NOT KNOW WHAT’S GOING ON WITH THEIR CHILD AND NO
COMMUNICATION IS REALLY STOPS
THE COMMUNICATION IS KEY.
THAT IS WHAT I WOULD SEE
COUNSELING GETTING A 3RD PARTY
IN THERE YOU CAN TALK WITH
THIS HIRE BILL THAT PASSED THE
BILL THE LINES OF COMMUNICATION
AND ALSO THAT PROFESSIONAL CAN
ALSO GUIDE
THE PARENT. IT’S SOMETHING
INAPPROPRIATE HAPPENED. THEY
CAN TAKE THEM THROUGH THAT
PROCESS
AS WELL.
>>VIC MICOLUCCI: COLLEEN
RODRIGUEZ, THANK YOU SO MUCH
FOR YOUR TIME THIS MORNING,
THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU AND YOUR
TEAM DO FOR
THE COMMUNITY. YOU KNOW TALKING
TO POLICE OFFICERS THEY ALWAYS
SAY WE’RE DOING OUR BEST WE ARE
WORKING TO STOP THESE
PREDATORS. BUT THE FIRST LINE
OF DEFENSE IS AT HOME AND