>>VIC MICOLUCCI: FBI AGENTS HERE IN THE JACKSONVILLE AREA ARE WARNING FAMILIES BE AWARE
OF THE RISKS THAT COME WITH
SOCIAL MEDIA. SO VERY
IMPORTANT AND OF IDOL WITH FBI
JACKSONVILLE JOINING US THIS
MORNING, WE HAVE BEEN HAVING
THIS FOR YEARS BUT THE DANGER
STILL THERE AND IT’S
CONSTANTLY EVOLVING.
ABSOLUTELY. VICK. WE’VE BEEN
TEACHING THESE CLASSES FOR
PARENTS FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.
BE SMART WITH YOUR KIDS,
SMARTPHONE.
>>LAUREN VERNO: AND WE’VE BEEN
TRYING TO HELP PARENTS
UNDERSTAND THE CAPABILITIES OF
THEIR CELL PHONES THAT THEY
ARE IN THE DEVICES THAT
THEY’RE GIVING TO THEIR
CHILDREN SO THAT THEY CAN HELP
THEM TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT
THEMSELVES. BUT TONIGHT WE’RE
ACTUALLY HOSTING EVENT FOR
TEENS. PARENTS OF BEEN WANTING
US TO BRING THE SAME MESSAGE
TO KIDS. AND SO THAT’S WHAT
WE’RE GOING TO YEAH,
ABSOLUTELY. AND AND LAST WEEK
WE ACTUALLY RIGHT HERE ON THE
MORNING SHOW HAD ONE OF YOUR
FBI AGENTS ON. WE WERE TALKING
ABOUT THE DANGER OF
SEXTORTION. YEAH. INVOLVING
THESE TEEN BOYS. PEOPLE TRYING
TO GET.
>>VIC MICOLUCCI: PICTURES AND
MONEY FROM THEM AND REALLY
JUST PUTTING THEM INTO A
DANGEROUS SITUATION. YEAH. ONE
OF THE THINGS THAT ARE GOING
TO TALK ABOUT TONIGHT IS JUST
ONLINE EXPLOITATION. SO THIS
IS A PROGRAM THAT’S GOING TO
BE TAUGHT BY OUR AGENTS.
>>LAUREN VERNO: A GOOD MAN WHO
WAS HERE THE OTHER DAY TALKING
ABOUT SEXTORTION. THESE ARE
THE PEOPLE WHO WORK THESE
CASES AND SEE THE WORST OF THE
PEOPLE THAT ARE OUT THERE
TARGETING OUR KIDS. SO WE’LL
RUN THROUGH SOME OF THE CASES
THEY’RE WORKING RIGHT HERE IN
JACKSONVILLE. HELP THESE TEENS
AND THEIR PARENTS UNDERSTAND
WHAT IS ONLINE EXPLOITATION.
WHAT IS SEXTORTION AND WHAT
THEY CAN DO HAVE AND HOW TO
REPORT IT BECAUSE A LOT OF
TIMES THESE KIDS ARE SCARED TO
DO THAT. IF THEY’VE BEEN
VICTIMIZED, WE WANT THEM TO
FEEL COMFORTABLE COMING
FORWARD.
>>VIC MICOLUCCI: SO AND WE
TALK ABOUT THE IMMEDIATE
EFFECTS, THE DANGERS, THE
PREDATORS OUT THERE. VERY
SCARY FOR PARENTS. BUT WE HAVE
TO LOOK AT WHAT CHILDREN DO
ONLINE AND THE IMPACT ON THEIR
FUTURES, ESPECIALLY IN THEIR
ADULT LIVES. THAT’S ALSO
SOMETHING THAT YOU’RE FOCUSING
ON TONIGHT. ABSOLUTELY. SO
WANT TO BE CLEAR WHEN YOU’VE
BEEN VICTIMIZED AS A CHILD BY
A PREDATOR, YOU ARE NOT GOING
TO GET IN TROUBLE.
>>VIC MICOLUCCI: IN ANY WAY
LEGALLY. BUT THERE ARE SOME
RAMIFICATIONS IF YOU HAVE JUST
BAD WHAT I CALL AND BECOMING
SOCIAL MEDIA BEHAVIORS. SO IF
TEAMS ARE OUT THERE ALSO
POSTING THINGS LIKE CONTENT OR
VIOLENT CONTENT OR THEY’RE
THREATENING OTHERS THAT THEIR
CYBER BULLYING, THAT TYPE OF
ACTIVITY AND THAT BEHAVIOR
ONLINE COULD HAVE
RAMIFICATIONS LATER ON COULD
AFFECT THEIR EDUCATIONAL GOALS
AND THEIR PROFESSIONAL GOALS
IN THE FUTURE. THE SOCIAL
MEDIA BACKGROUND CHECKS ARE
VERY COMMON IN ALL DIFFERENT
TYPES OF INDUSTRIES. TODAY.
I’M NOT JUST IN THE NEWS MEDIA
AND LAW ENFORCEMENT LIKE THEY
USED TO BE THAT ANY
PROFESSIONAL PLACE THAT YOU GO
OFTEN CONDUCTS A SOCIAL MEDIA
BACK ON TRACK. AND WE WANT
TEENS TO KNOW THAT THEIR
BEHAVIOR TODAY COULD HAVE A
BIG IMPACT IN THE FUTURE. AND
THAT ATTENTION IS REALLY
PUTTING THEM AT RISK. BOYS AND
GIRLS. WE TALK ABOUT THE RISK
FOR FOR YOUNG GIRLS AND BOYS
JUST AS MUCH TELL YOU IF
PARENTS ARE NOT WATCHING WITH
THEIR TEENS ARE POSTING ONLINE
PREDATORS ARE AND THEY’RE
GOING TO SEE THAT. HEY, THESE
KIDS ARE NOT BEING MONITORED.
SO THERE’S A VULNERABILITY
THERE. AND I MAY BE ABLE TO
TARGET THEM. AND THAT’S WHAT
THE PREDATORS ARE THINKING.
AND SO I’M REALLY HAVING THESE
CONVERSATIONS WITH YOUR KIDS
AND LETTING THEM KNOW THAT
THAT’S OPENING THE DOOR TO
PEOPLE WANTING TO TARGET THEM
IS IMPORTANT.
>> YOUR MOM YOURSELF. SO I
KNOW THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT
CHILDREN YOUNGER, BUT YES,
STILL.
>>EMILY BOYER: STILL EXPOSED
TO DEVICES. THE RIGHT. I MEAN,
THEY HAVE THEIR OWN DEVICES.
AND I THINK IF I CAN PUT IN
PERSPECTIVE FOR PARENTS, YOU
KNOW, A LOT OF PARENTS THINK
HAVE HAD THESE CONVERSATIONS
WITH MY CHILDREN. THEY KNOW
BETTER. I TRUST THEM. I’M NOT
GOING TO, YOU KNOW, PUSH THEM
UNTIL I THINK THEY’RE GETTING
IN TROUBLE. I WANT PARENTS TO
UNDERSTAND THAT GIVING YOUR
CHILD A DEVICE AND NOT HELPING
EDUCATE THEM ON IT AND STAYING
ENGAGE WITH THEM AND AND THEIR
DEVICES LIKE DROPPING THEM ON
A STREET CORNER IN A MAJOR
CITY IN SAYING I’VE TAUGHT ME
RIGHT FROM WRONG GOOD LUCK.
NAVIGATING THE WORLD. I’M NOT
GOING I’M NOT GOING GET
INVOLVED UNLESS YOU GET IN
TROUBLE. IT ACTUALLY YOUR
OPENING THEM UP TO THE WORLD
WHEN YOU GIVE HIM THAT DEVICE
AND ARE CONTINUING TO MONITOR
SO STICK WITH THEM. HAVE THIS
CONVERSATION IS LONG TERM.
WE’RE GOING HELP YOU DO THAT
TONIGHT. LET’S GO A LITTLE
FURTHER IN TONIGHT. SO WHAT DO
YOU DO TO PREPARE?
>>LAUREN VERNO: DO YOU HAVE TO
SIGN UP OR CAN YOU JUST SHOW
UP THERE NOW? THIS THAT THIS
LEAVE YOUR YOU SAID THAT. SO
BE SMART WITH YOUR SMARTPHONE
TEEN EDITION. IT COULD BE HELD
AT CREEKSIDE HIGH SCHOOL. IT
IS OPEN TO ANYONE. ALL TEENS,
ALL PARENTS. IT STARTS AT 6
O’CLOCK. IT’S TOTALLY FREE.
YOU DON’T HAVE TO REGISTER.
PLEASE JUST COME AND JOIN US
AND WE’LL PROVIDE YOU THE
RESOURCES THAT YOU NEED TO
TAKE HOME AND AND FURTHER TAKE
THESE CONVERSATIONS AND TAKE
ACTION TO PROTECT YOURSELF. IS
THERE ONE BIG TAKEAWAY THAT
YOU WANT TEENS AND THEIR
PARENTS TO COME HOME FROM? I
THINK WE WANT TEENS IN
PARTICULAR TO KNOW THAT THEY
CAN COME FORWARD AND REPORT IF
THEY’VE BEEN VICTIMIZED TO THE
FBI AND TO LAW ENFORCEMENT TO
HELP US TAKE ACTION. A LOT OF
TIMES PREDATORS HAVE HUNDREDS
OF VICTIMS POTENTIALLY ACROSS
THE WORLD AND THEN NOT
REPORTING IT. IT IS A PROBLEM.
IF THEY COME FORWARD, IT
ALLOWS US TO OPEN THE DOOR TO
A TO GO AFTER THESE PREDATORS
AND POTENTIALLY PROTECT
HUNDREDS OF OTHER CHILDREN IN
THE FUTURE. AND A LOT OF TIMES
WE SEE THE PREDATORS TRIED TO
INTIMIDATE THEM AND SAY YOU
ARE GOING TO BE IN TROUBLE. IF
YOU REPORT THIS ONE MORE TIME.
THAT IS NOT THE CASE. THAT IS
NOT THE GUY WANTS TO HELP YOU?
ABSOLUTELY. ABSOLUTELY. IF YOU
ARE A CHILD OF MINOR THAT WE
CONSIDER UNDER THE AGE OF 18,
IF YOU’VE BEEN VICTIMIZED BY
AN ADULT, YOU ARE NOT GOING TO
GET IN TROUBLE. WE’RE GOING TO
WALK YOU THROUGH THIS PROCESS
AND HELP PROTECT YOU AND
OTHERS IN THE AND OF IDOL
WITH.
>>VIC MICOLUCCI: FBI
JACKSONVILLE, THANK YOU SO
MUCH. CREEKSIDE HIGH SCHOOL