Reporting for Dummies

It is frustrating to try to report pornography to the United States Department of Justice, only to have their obscenity site respond that it doesn’t understand the two digit state (drop down menu) or the country (USA).

Go to the NCMEC Cybertipline site and it will offer assistance if your child has been exposed to child porn, solicitation etc. but not if they indirectly potentially could be. It would be nice if there was a central resource you could turn to when the issue doesn’t fit into a specific predefined category.

Are these "teen sites" unaware of what child pornography is? In the US, Child pornography has been defined under federal statute as a visual depiction of a minor (child younger than 18) engaged in sexually explicit conduct (18 U.S.C. 2256). The Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) of the Department of Justice prosecute individuals who violate federal law by sexually exploiting children and enforce the federal obscenity laws.

If children on social networks such as My Space can register using a fake age, how would a pornographer really know if the models were over 18?

The US PROTECT Act, passed on April 30, 2003, created 18 USC § 2252B, which for the first time makes it a crime to employ a domain name with the intent of misleading the public to visit websites offering either obscene material or material harmful to minors.

Maybe the act needs modified to keep up with technology.

The picture of Dorian Gray

Were you under the impression that a child’s photo could be aged instantly with a computer software program? According to this article, it involves much more then the use of age progression software.

However if you visit the the Oregon Museum for Science and Industry there is an Age Machine. It may strictly be for amusement or not accurate, but it suggests the technology might exist.

“…Come face to face with the reality that time changes your appearance. Sit at this computer station and record a black and white picture of your face. Then, using customized software, enter your current age and gender and watch your face “age” up to 25 years! (8-adult)…”

8 Simple Rules....not the tv show

ARE THERE WAYS TO PREVENT MY CHILD FROM BEING ABDUCTED?

"...You can also talk to your child about ways to prevent an abduction from happening. The FBI, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) offer these eight rules for your child's safety..."

Some more helpful tips from the CBS Cares website.

CBS Cares PSA's

CBS Cares is running several public service announcements concerning child abductions. This one provides some tips for WHAT IF AN ABDUCTOR APPROACHES MY CHILD?


“If someone tries to abduct your child, your child should resist every step of the way.”-Supervisory Special Agent Mick Fennerty of the FBI's Crimes Against Children Unit



GENERAL INFORMATION
"...It could happen in the time it takes to snap your fingers: Your child could disappear. In 1999, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency (OJJDP) reported that there were 58,200 non-family abductions. Fifty percent of children kidnapped in non-family abductions were taken from the street, in a vehicle, or from a park or wooded area. Many didn't know what to do. It happens too often and you can prevent it from happening to your child if you take the time to talk to them. In an interview with CBS Cares, Agent Fennerty of the FBI who specializes in investigating crimes against children, including child abduction cases, conveyed that it is never too early to start training your child to protect themselves from being abducted. Learn what your child should do in a dangerous situation, so you can teach them what to do to avoid being snatched and what to do if snatched! Know what they can do to save themselves. .."

HOW DO I PROTECT MY CHILD?

Missing Child Resources

The Missing Child Resources link is a list of some of the assistance available to you should your child go missing. It will periodically be updated, however please suggest any other sites.