| With its unlimited opportunities for learning | | | | molested children but had not been caught. |
| and entertainment, the Internet has become an | | | | |
| essential tool for children. It allows them | | | | Internet predators are usually men. They are |
| to talk with friends, explore the universe, | | | | of different age, financial status and sexual |
| and find help with homework in ways baby | | | | liking. |
| boomers could not have imagined. In | | | | |
| cyberspace, children are just a mouse click | | | | Child abuse range from children of |
| away from viewing great art, listening to an | | | | privileged, stable backgrounds who have never |
| array of fine music or joining astronauts in | | | | before been abused, to those who come from |
| space. Unfortunately, they are also only a | | | | abusive, broken, neglected or impoverished |
| mouse click away from sexual predators. | | | | homes. The more time they spend on the |
| | | | Internet -- and the more personal information |
| It's been estimated that at any given time, | | | | they post to it -- the more likely they are |
| there are upwards of 50,000 predators on the | | | | to be victimized. Indeed, the Youth Internet |
| Internet, trolling for victims. Just last | | | | Safety Survey found that one in five children |
| month, Jerry Banks Sr., of Boise, was | | | | who are heavy Internet users receives an |
| sentenced to life in prison for using a Web | | | | unwanted sexual solicitation each year. |
| cam to record himself molesting a 2-year-old | | | | |
| and sharing the video on the Internet. Banks | | | | The Internet site Jerry Banks ran has been |
| had a history of molesting children, | | | | shut down, but others have taken its place. |
| maintained an extensive collection of child | | | | Like the mythical Hydra -- a monster who grew |
| pornography, and ran a file-sharing network | | | | two new heads each time one was cut off -- |
| called "Kid Sex and Incest." | | | | child sexual exploitation is growing rapidly, |
| | | | and changing daily as new technology is |
| Contrary to myth, child pornography does not | | | | developed. Law enforcing agencies and |
| mean pictures of flirtatious teenagers in | | | | prosecutors cannot succeed this fight alone. |
| bikinis or babies in a bathtub. Rather, these | | | | |
| are graphic, violent images of children being | | | | To help educate children about the dangers of |
| raped, molested and sometimes tortured. They | | | | the Internet, the Department of Justice has |
| are extremely difficult to view, or even to | | | | launched Project Safe Childhood (PSC), which |
| think about, but we cannot ignore them. First | | | | has produced some outstanding public service |
| of all, these are real children being | | | | announcements that I hope you'll be hearing |
| brutalized, and second, there is mounting | | | | and seeing on radio and TV. PSC has also |
| evidence that possession of child pornography | | | | brought dedicated local, state and federal |
| is directly linked to actual sexual abuse of | | | | law enforcement officers and prosecutors |
| children. In one study, for example, 85 | | | | together to apply more resources to this |
| percent of men in prison for possessing child | | | | fight and bring more predators to justice. |
| pornography admitted that they had also | | | | |