CPFSA warns children about online dangers

CEO of the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA) Laurette AdamsThomas, stressed the importance of online safety for children and called on both children and their parents to be more vigilant when navigating the digital space.

This after the agency said that it is aware of recent reports regarding a St Mary security guard who was charged with the rape of a minor that he met online. The agency said it found that the incident, which happened in November 2021 when the victim was 15, was reported to the CPFSA’s National Children’s Registry last December. A CPFSA investigator reached out to the victim and her mother to offer support, as well as to instruct them to make a report to the police. The child was also referred to CPFSA’s Child and Family Support Unit for psychological and psychosocial support, as well as to the Ministry of Justice’s Victim Services’ Division for counselling. The perpetrator, now 35, was arrested and charged with rape, grievous sexual assault, sexual grooming of a child and possession of child pornography on February 2.

“The perpetrator met the child online by pretending to be someone else, coerced her into sending nude photos of herself to him, and then used those photos to blackmail her into performing sexual acts,” said Adams-Thomas.

“We are strongly discouraging children from forming friendships online with persons that they do not know or have never met in person, because they can be raped, abducted and trafficked,” she continued.

Adams-Thomas implored children to stop taking and sharing nude photos of themselves or others.

“We are also calling on parents to be vigilant about your child’s online presence. Try to know the persons that they are communicating with online, monitor their social media pages and be on the lookout for potential predators. If you are not technologically savvy, seek guidance from other parents and your children’s teachers on ways that you can keep them safe online,” she added.

The vessel was initially spotted approximately 18 nautical miles southwest of Bowden Bay, St Thomas, within a known vector utilised for illicit trafficking between Jamaica and Haiti. An operational team was deployed and boarded the VOI, resulting in the contraband find. The compressed marijuana was packaged in knitted bags and buckets. Two Jamaican nationals onboard were detained.

The VOI, detainees and the marijuana were transported to