Cyber-crime against children spikes amid stay-at-home orders
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While the virtual environment helps teachers and parents struggling to maintain a balanced day-to-day schedule for children, it also serves as a malicious vector for the cyber exploitation of children.
In the first two months of spring, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension observed a 30% increase in cyber-crimes against children. On top of more than 1,000 complaints received by the agency, The National Center of Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) recorded more than 6 million tips during the same period.
While the sudden spike in numbers can be attributed to the increased screen time for minors, John Shehan, the vice-president of NCMEC, says that online predators are discussing their intentions to exploit the lockdown orders on the dark web.
“Parents are stretched so thin and asked to do so much right now,” said Minnesota U.S. Attorney Erica MacDonald. “It just leads to a very target-rich environment for kids to be preyed upon.”
Parents and caretakers should be the first to start an honest conversation with their children and warn them about the risks they face in the online world, she said.
