INDIANAPOLIS -- With high profile people in Indianapolis making headlines for their arrests for cyber crimes against youth, the Indiana State Police decided to make an initiative to curb the problem.
The Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children task force will be using youth educators to talk to children aged 8-18, to help them understand what to look out for and not become victims.
"This program is a success if just one child is prevented from being victimized," Indiana State Police Captain Chuck Cohen said. "If just one child makes a disclosure they have been victimized, or have a friend who's been victimized and we can get care for that child and bring that child to a place of safety."
Indiana State Police (ISP) says the Indiana Internet Crimes against Children task force will be the first one in the country to have full-time youth educators.
The youth educators will be trying to prevent crimes such as:
- Online child sexual solicitation
- Online child extortion, also known as sextortion
- Online production of child pornography
- Online bullying, also known as cyberbullying
- Online radicalization mitigation to reduce the recruitment of youth by terrorists and criminal extremists.
Funding for the new program will come from a grant awarded by the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute.
There will be no cost for a school or other organization to schedule a program.
If anybody is interested in scheduling a program for their group, they are asked to contact ICACYouthEd@isp.in.gov.
-----
Sign up to have the latest news headlines delivered straight to your email inbox
