Area Law enforcers educate residents

Kennett Police Department Detective Lt. Tim Trowbridge, who is attached to the Bootheel Drug Task Force, leads a seminar about Internet sexual predators recently at the Malden Community Center. [Click to enlarge]

Editor's note: This is the first installment of a three-part series that focuses on area law enforcement personnel educating small-town residents about Internet sexual predators. Part two will be published Friday. The final installment will be published Sunday.

Bootheel Drug Task Force agent (BDTF) and Kennett Police Department Detective Lt. Tim Trowbridge and Malden Police Department Chief Rod Dill Monday addressed the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA), Region 7, at the Malden Community Center.

A crowd of nearly 60 came to hear the officers speak with both students and teachers about Internet crimes, safety and police investigations.

The BDTF is under the direct supervision of Pemiscot County Sheriff Tommy Greenwell, Trowbridge said.

Greenwell said although the BDTF works with drug investigations primarily, his unit sometimes assists communities with respect to any major investigation, including cyber crimes. The sheriff added that during most Internet investigations, it is discovered that drugs usually are involved, whether it is ordering drugs, setting up drug transactions via the Internet, or suspects bringing drugs to commit sexual predator crimes.

Trowbridge said although on-line computer exploration opens a world of possibilities for children, expanding their horizons and exposing them to different cultures and ways of life, they also can be exposed to dangers.

"There are individuals who attempt to sexually exploit children through the use of on-line services and the Internet," he said. "Some of these individuals gradually seduce their targets through the use of attention, affection, kindness, and even gifts.

"These predators are often willing to devote considerable amounts of time, money, and energy in this process," the agent continued. "They listen to and empathize with the problems of children."

Trowbridge said that many times predators are aware of the latest music, hobbies, and childrens' interests.

"They attempt to gradually decrease childrens' inhibitions by slowly introducing sexual context and content into their on-line conversations," he said. "There are other individuals, however, who immediately engage in sexually explicit conversation with children.

"Some offenders primarily collect and trade pornographic images of children, while others seek face-to-face meetings with kids," he added. "It is important for parents to understand that children can be indirectly victimized through conversations, on-line "chats," as well as the transfer of sexually explicit information and material."

Computer-sex offenders may also be evaluating children they come in contact with on-line for future face-to-face contact and direct victimization, the agent noted.

"Parents and children should remember that a computer-sex offender can be any age or gender," Trowbridge said. "The person does not have to fit the caricature of a dirty, unkempt, older man wearing a raincoat to be someone who could harm a child."

Children, especially adolescents, are sometimes interested in and curious about sexuality and sexually explicit material, he said. They may be moving away from the total control of parents and seek to establish new relationships outside the family. Because they may be curious, children or adolescents sometimes use their on-line access to actively seek out such materials and individuals.

"Sex offenders targeting children will use and exploit these characteristics and needs," the agent said. "Some adolescent children may also be attracted to and lured by on-line offenders closer to their age who, although not technically child molesters, may be dangerous.

"Nevertheless, they have been seduced and manipulated by a clever offender and do not fully understand or recognize the potential danger of these contacts," he noted.