Police: Keep an eye on your child’s web activity

Sgt. Chris Fincher says parents need to be “nosy” sometimes and look at what their children are doing online.

Throughout the month of January, several men have been charged with attempted child molestation in Floyd County.

Five men — Noah Weston Clay, Benjamin Michael Crump, Paul Taylor Trammell, David James Sholtz and John Shane Walls — were charged with at least two or more of the following: aggravated child molestation, child molestation, obscene internet contact with a child, sexual exploitation, electronic enticement of a child, furnishing obscene material to a minor and use of a computer service to seduce, solicit, lure or entice a child to commit an illegal act.

According to jail reports, the men had contacted someone they believed to be a minor online and sent sexually explicit material to them, whether it was messages or pictures.

No children were harmed or involved in these cases, but the risk of minors becoming involved in such situations is still prevalent.

As a response, the Floyd County Police Department advises all parents and guardians to be vigilant in regards to the online activities of children in their care.

Sgt. Chris Fincher said sometimes parents need to be “nosy” and look at what their children are doing online. He advises parents to check the apps the minor might have on their phone, laptop or tablet.

“Parents need to be aware of how crazy the Internet is,” Fincher said. “You wouldn’t leave your child alone on a street corner in New York City.

The Internet is a similar situation.”

Fincher says websites and apps we use every day can be dangerous for kids, such as social media and messaging. Gaming apps geared toward children can also have messaging features predators could use to contact minors.

For more information on Internet safety and cybersecurity, parents can visit websites that go over topics such as social media safety, online security tools and Internet safety laws.