United States Attorney
Northern District of Texas

1100 Commerce St., 3rd Fl.
Dallas, Texas 75242-1699

Telephone (214) 659-8600
Fax (214) 767-0978

U. S. ATTORNEY ALONG WITH LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS
VISIT THREE AREA SCHOOLS TO PRESENT INTERNET SAFETY PROGRAMS
AS PART OF PROJECT SAFE CHILDHOOD INITIATIVE

U.S. Attorney Richard B. Roper, along with the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Department of Homeland Security-Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, reached out today to approximately 500 students at local area schools on the dangers of child exploitation on the Internet as part of the Project Safe Childhood (PSC) initiative. Today’s events reached three area schools: Lutheran High School in Dallas with an audience of 9th and 10th graders, The Oakridge School in Arlington with an audience of 5th and 6th graders, and M.L. Phillips Elementary School in Fort Worth with an audience of 4th and 5th graders.

As technology improves and the Internet becomes more vast and accessible, the number of computer-facilitated sexual crimes against children continues to grow. According to one recent study, one in seven children, ages 10 to 17, who are regular Internet users are sexually solicited online. That translates to millions of kids, and it suggests that there are thousands of offenders who we have not yet identified and brought to justice.

In August 2006, the Department of Justice announced that it would partner with the National Center for Missing and Exploited children and the Ad Council in developing a series of Public Service Announcements (PSA) to raise awareness for the dangers of online predators. These PSAs aim to remind teens that the World Wide Web is a very public place and poses a very real threat when misunderstood.

Today’s events are part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC). In February 2006, Attorney General Gonzales announced the creation of PSC, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys Offices, the PSC initiative works to coordinate federal, state and local law enforcement across the nation to both increase prosecutions and convictions of child predators, while also raising public awareness and educating teens/children on the dangers they face online.

For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.

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