EAST LONGMEADOW, Mass. (WGGB/WSHM) – Ten people, including a police officer, have been arrested following a child predator sting operation out of Berkshire County. This sting operation, bringing to light just how easy it is for your children to put themselves at risk for human trafficking.
On Wednesday, we sat down with a local technology expert to find out the top three things you can do to prevent a dire situation, similar to the operation out of Berkshire County.
A two-week investigation out of Berkshire County charged ten people, including an Auburn police officer, with crimes related to sexual conduct with a child under the age of 16 for a fee.
While this operation was conducted purely through the Berkshire District Attorney’s office and no children were actually involved, human trafficking is a common issue that even your children can get wrapped up in.
“In the past, this could have been someone at church, or a boy scout leader, or somebody at school, but today in the modern world, a lot of this stuff is online,” Stan Prager, owner of GoGeeks Computer Rescue shared.
He told us that as a technology expert and a parent, there are three main things he would do to prevent his kids from human trafficking and online harm. First, you have to educate yourself.
“Education, I can’t emphasize enough how important that is,” Prager told us.
Prager says that knowing what social media apps and messaging apps your kids are on is the first step in monitoring who else is contacting them. However, as a parent, you can prevent their messaging through parental software and controls.
“If you’re really concerned, there’s parental control software,” he explained.
Prager recommends the following software sites to monitor and control your kids’ online presence:
-Net Nanny
-Aura
-Bark
While Prager says there may be a cost involved, it is worth the investment for your kids’ safety.
“You need to be aware not only of what your kids are doing, but you need to make your kids aware of what’s going on out there,” he emphasized.
Prager says the best way to prevent your kids from online harm is by having an open dinner table conversation, rather than punishing them by just adding software to their devices.
“You need to make your child aware of the fact that such individuals exist and what red flags to look for, without at the same hand, terrifying your children.”
Prager says that as a parent, talking to your kids about the cruelty that comes with the internet is the most necessary thing to ensure their safety.
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