Internet porn dangers lurk for children

The more parents know about the bad side of the Internet, the better they can protect their children from it, Peters Township police Chief Harry Fruecht believes.

Fruecht and representatives of other law enforcement agencies will help parents increase their Internet knowledge during a workshop Thursday at the Chartiers Valley Intermediate School auditorium in Scott Township.

Fruecht is considered one of the best in explaining the dangers of the Internet to South Hills parents, even though he shrugs off the label of expert on Internet safety. He will share his research into how children can be exploited and exposed to Internet dangers.

The session will address Internet hazards, safety and laws. A slide show will explain the Internet to parents, and a videotape of Customs officials raiding the home of a sexual predator will be shown.

While the Internet is a great research tool, 'like everything in society, there is a bad side,' Fruecht warned.

The two-hour presentation for adults only will include input from representatives with the FBI, U.S. Attorney's Office, Postal Inspections Department and Customs.

The Chartiers Valley session is the fourth since Fruecht developed the program three years ago with the aid of the parent-teachers association in Peters.

Peters Township School District spokeswoman Pat Kennedy said the program provides parents with practical advice such as placing computers where parents can watch children use them, not using a real name online and never giving out a home address.

Fruecht said chat rooms are the most dangerous area of the Internet because pedophiles stalk them looking for victims. Chat rooms let computer users converse online in real time.

Fruecht said Postal Service inspectors become involved because victims unknowingly meet a sexual predator in a chat room and then begin exchanging child pornography through international mailings.

The U.S. Customs Service estimates 12 million children log on to the Internet every day.

Other Internet dangers include Web sites about weapons-making that can tempt children and land them in trouble with the law, Fruecht said.

Members of the Crimes Against Children Task Force, including FBI agent Wells Morrison and assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan, will be available Thursday to answer parents' questions.

Morrison said the FBI's role in the task force is to attempt to apprehend perpetrators who cross state lines to have sex with minors.

'Just like you would not want your child to talk to a stranger on the street, you need to be careful about allowing your children to talk to people they don't know in the chat rooms,' Morrison said.

Sexual predators misrepresent themselves as teen-agers in chat rooms and arrange meetings with youths.

Buchanan said cooperation between local, state and federal agencies aids in the prosecution of sexual predators.

'The Internet has certainly made it easier to commit crimes against children,' Buchanan said.

'Before they would have to travel or send things through the mail. Perpetrators believe it's easier to send child pornography with the click of a button.'

Paul Nutcher can be reached at pnutcher@tribweb.com or at (412) 306-4534.