Morris County Prosecutor’s Office issues public safety announcement for parents, children concerning internet safety
MORRIS COUNTY, NJ – The Morris County Prosecutor’s Office is dedicated to educating the general public about the risks and potential hazards relating to child sexual abuse material and child pornography and the misuse of technology by children.
The prosecutor’s office also continues to promote increased awareness of the recommended safeguards that can help to prevent the victimization of our children.
During the past several years, there has been a dramatic increase in online activity among our nation’s youth. Law enforcement agencies across the country are seeing a rise in sexually explicit material by children of all ages. This material includes activities such as “sexting” and sending or soliciting nude photographs, officials said.
With a generation of youth utilizing electronic means of communication and engaging online as content creators, it is important for parents to have open communication with their children about content sharing and exercising good judgement when it comes to how they interact with others online or through other electronic means, such as email, text messaging, and social media, the prosecutor’s office said.
Both boys and girls are involved in these potentially dangerous behaviors, parents should have age-appropriate conversations with their children beginning as soon as their child has access to any technological device. Conversations with children should include a clear explanation as to why it is so important not to send, not to ask others and not to share sexually explicit images, videos, or other content, officials said.
Children must be mindful of what they post and share through these electronic means, because social media and technology document everything, even photos and messages a child may assume was deleted or temporary, or that was intended to be private. Data shared through electronic means can be accessed and potentially disseminated to others even after being deleted, officials said.
Moreover, individuals communicating with children through electronic means can misrepresent their true age, gender, or identity. The dissemination of electronic data may subject the child to harassment or ridicule, and even create the potential for extortion or kidnapping, the prosecutor’s office said.
“We at the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office want to enable our youth to make smart choices about how they interact online and through electronic means, as poor decisions can have unfortunate consequences,” Morris County Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll said.
