SEATTLE — At just 9-years-old, Bradley already had a scary experience online as he recently faced a hacker.
“It can mean different things, but the one that got into my account came and he tried killing us and taking our stuff and destroying our world. It was bad,” said Bradley, whose mom asked we not use his full name.
He’s talking about the popular game Minecraft and the stranger that he didn’t know that worked his way into he and his friends’ private game. Thankfully, his story ends there, but federal law enforcement says child predators often use online games as a way in.
“From a law enforcement standpoint and a prosecution standpoint we need to get the education out there to try and prevent kids from falling into this trap to begin with,” said Robert Hammer, special agent in charge for Homeland Security Investigations.
Homeland Security Investigations wants parents to be alert as the new school year will mean new friends and new friend requests in the digital world.
“The sad reality is there are more leads that come in nationally for child sex abuse material being generated and distributed across the internet than law enforcement is able to handle,” Hammer added.
Homeland Security is partnering with the state’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force – formed specifically to investigate and prosecute online predators. Parents often serve as the front line of defense - a job that keeps getting harder.
Guardians are reminded to use parental controls on apps and limit the time young students spend online. When it comes to gaming, they should make sure students never share personal information.
These are all steps Bradley and his mom are taking.
“I think we’re trying to teach him good digital literacy at this point to self-monitor and to be aware and to teach him what to look out for and be real with him,” said Bradley’s mother, Susan.
“Once he’s old enough to have the responsibility to self-manage as good as he can at home then he’ll get some devices and some connectivity,” she continued.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has a long list of child friendly information to educate you and your loved ones about online safety.