Crime Prevention Programs and Presentations

Mousetrap: Protecting America's Children from On-line Predators

Presented in cooperation with the Virginia Community Policing Institute

It's 3 a.m. … do you know where your child is "surfing"?

Do you know what these Internet chatroom acronyms mean: PAN, TOS, SA?

No longer limited to public parks or neighborhood playgrounds, the pedophile now operates in the vast murky unchaperoned regions of the Internet. This environment allows such predators to move at will, posing a definable and immediate threat to your child, and putting them in a position to seduce your child. And to do so from a long distance.

Sexual predators can locate and victimize children by using the Internet to steal into their homes unannounced and unseen by parents.

The Clearwater Police Department invites you to visit our link with the Virginia Community Policing Institute, and to become informed about Internet Predators. MOUSETRAP is a special interactive program designed to help parents, teachers and other concerned adults to:

· Understand Internet communication methods and the special language used in online chat;

· See inside the dark world of on-line predators, learning how they think, and the methods they use to deceive children;

· Work with children to ensure on-line safety;

· Recognize clues indicating children may be involved in a dangerous on-line relationship;

· How to best intervene if an inappropriate relationship is discovered;

· And how to find additional related resources.

Visit Mousetrap at www.vcpionline.org

For information on having us provide any of these programs and presentations to your group, please contact Sgt. Robert Felici (727) 562-4302 or roberto.felici@myclearwater.com.