News and Press Releases

TAKE 25 EVENT

"Take 25 Minutes to Talk To Your Child About Internet Safety"

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 18, 2012

Spokane – Today, Michael C. Ormsby, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that on May 25, 2012, the United States Attorney's Office, in partnership with Spokane County Sherriff's Office, is providing a number of free resources for parents, children and educators regarding Internet safety, as part of the Take 25 Event sponsored by the Spokane County Sheriff's Department at the Riverfront Park Mall, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

"The Internet and new online technologies are increasingly part of our everyday lives, and offer a wealth of opportunities to communicate, socialize, and explore the world, but these benefits come with certain risks. Parents, educators, and youth need to work together in order to maximize their digital opportunities while managing risks." said Michael C. Ormsby, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington.

One of the free resources which will be provided on May 25, 2012 is a new guide from the FTC called Net Cetera: Chatting with Kids About Being Online. Net Cetera explains to parents and their children how to deal with issues such as social networking, cyberbullying, using mobile phones safely, and protecting the family computer from badware. The booklet is practical, plain-language, and value-neutral, so all parents – regardless of whether they are technologically savvy – can use it to help their kids make better decisions about online behavior. It is the most recent addition to the OnGuardOnline.gov consumer education campaign, which helps people guard against Internet fraud, secure their computers, and protect their privacy.

Participation by the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Washington is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in February 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys' Offices and the Department of Justice's Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

Return to Top