Millions of people are now going online to exchange electronic mail, surf the World Wide Web and participate in chat groups. Of those currently online, 10.5 million are kids.
Internet access offers children a variety of resources for research and communication.
However, while the Internet can serve as an important tool in children's education and development, we must face the reality that it can also be used for harm. The Internet offers predators unparalleled access to our children and can provide an avenue for abuse and exploitation. The Internet has become an attractive arena for child sex abusers, child pornographers and pedophiles because it is easy for them to share images and information about children and to make contact with children. These predators are also major contributors to children's chat rooms, frequently pretending to be children themselves. Fortunately, law enforcement is waking up to the Internet's use for distributing child pornography and other computer-related crimes.