AG: Free Webinars To Help Parents Spot Child Exploitation

SPRINGFIELD, IL — A recent spike in reports of online child exploitation has lead Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul to introduce a series of webinars aimed at parents of young children to educate them on internet safety.

The webinars will be created and run through the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Raoul announced Monday. The task force will also be given a new mobile forensic unit that can analyze digital evidence at each crime scene which will speed up processing times, the attorney general said at a news conference.

"The threat is out there and, with our children's increasing use of the internet for education entertainment and social interaction, it is growing," Raoul said. "I'm asking all of you — guardians parents teachers pastors neighbors — to join us in helping stop this scourge of child pornography."

Officials from the task force said they expect a 23 percent increase in child pornography reports this year. While Raoul said this is concerning, the stark increase could also be due to many social media apps improving their reporting techniques.

The monthly webinar series will begin Thursday and will take place at 6:30 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month. Webinars are free, and those interested can email karilyn.orr@ilag.gov to register.

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Topics covered will include learning about popular phone applications children and teens use, how to avoid aggressive online behavior and how to look for signs a child may have been victimized online. Raoul said the webinars will be especially helpful for parents whose children have been online more than ever due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"During this time of separation from their peers, they've turned to technology for schooling, for connecting with old and new friends and alleviating the social isolation this crisis has forced upon them," Raoul said. "Child predators are there to try to take advantage of this."

To report suspected online child sexual exploitation, contact local law enforcement or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children CyberTipline at 1-800-THE-LOST.