RADAR - Your Kids' Mobile Watchdog

Kids and their phones and computers

2008-03-20T02:04:00Z

I feel the need to clarify some of my personal beliefs. Many people assume their children are in danger of unknown subjects lurking on the Internet in an effort to lure their child in to meeting them. It has been my experience, depending on the age of the child, that most kids willingly enter into a relationship or friendship with an unknown Internet “friend” in an effort to fit in or fill some kind of need in their life. I believe most of the teenage victims are the result of the child putting themselves...(read more)

Our Kids

2008-02-28T02:34:00Z

To summarize my last several posts, I would urge any parent that discovers an inappropriate relationship to report it to the agency having jurisdiction. Remember the first and foremost priority for everyone involved is the safety of the child. The second priority is preserving any evidence to assist in the end goal of putting the suspect behind bars where he/she belongs. Also keep in mind that the decision you face might need to be made for a child other than your own. Chances are you could discover...(read more)

See How They Chat – Part 2

2008-02-18T23:10:00Z

James N. Brown, J.D. Detective - Retired In See How They Chat – Part 1 , I presented an actual online chat that I had with a potential predator during a training session. The entire conversation lasted only seven minutes. In that short time, the predator learned that the “child” did not wear panties and liked to swim naked. He also knew that the “child’s” mother was at work. Although I was posing as a child, this was a real conversation with a possible predator, who very quickly learned significant...(read more)

See How They Chat – Part 1

2008-01-28T00:14:00Z

James N. Brown, J.D. Detective - Retired In my next two blogs, I’m going to share with you the nature of a chat between a predator and a potential child victim. I believe it is important for everyone, but especially parents, to understand how aggressive a predator can be with a child. Unfortunately, I cannot share a chat from an actual case because the matter may still be in litigation. I can share chats that have occurred in training secessions. All officers engaged in proactive Internet investigations...(read more)

To monitor or not to monitor

2008-01-25T02:16:00Z

I have given many talks on the benefits of monitoring your children and have discussed, often time at length, the reasons for monitoring your kids. Usually the parent will start out with something along the lines of….well my kids are not like that, or… we have a very open relationship and my child would always come to me with something of that nature. I always offer that as a parent you may very well trust your child, and many times you are correct with your assessment of your child not falling prey...(read more)

More Info.

2008-01-08T03:50:00Z

It has been my experience that a teenager involved in an inappropriate relationship will often only reveal only a small part of the relationship, and again this depends on the extent of the relationship. Sometimes you have a teenage child that has had hundreds of hours of communication with an adult. The child feels that nobody but the suspect really understands them. Often times the child will withdraw farther from the family when confronted. This is a very delicate matter and is best handled with...(read more)

Additional information:

2007-12-19T00:40:00Z

If the communication between your child and the suspect is strictly via the Internet or through a cell phone then it is easier to control then if the subject is a teacher or otherwise close to the victim on a daily basis. Depending how the relationship was discovered usually will give you an idea of how to control or stop the relationship. Many times an unsuspecting parent stumbles upon sexually graphic writings or photos. In this case it is probably safe to assume you have discovered the relationship...(read more)

A RADAR Christmas Poem to Ponder

2007-12-18T19:45:00Z

James N. Brown, J.D. Detective - Retired ‘Twas the morning of Christmas and all through the house, Every creature was stirring, including the mouse. The stockings were torn from the chimney with abandon, The cacophony of noise sounded like a cannon. And what through my wandering eyes did I see? Cell phones for my children, ages 13 to 3. I thought to myself…what a wonderful gift, Easy communication with the children, what a heartfelt lift. Whatever the problem, including a stranger, Be quick on the...(read more)

Did She…Or Didn’t She? – Part II

2007-12-04T22:35:00Z

James N. Brown, J.D. Detective - Retired In my last blog I discussed the case of Joelle Ogletree, a Texas high school teacher who was accused by three of her students of having sexual misconduct with them. Ogletree was indicted by a grand jury in 2003. In 2004, after turning down a plea deal, her trial began. Only two of the boys, Matt and Chayce, were to testify against her because the third boy, Sam, admitted he had fabricated his allegations against Ogletree. Matt’s testimony did not go well as...(read more)

Now what!

2007-11-28T04:19:00Z

How to proceed, as a parent, once the relationship is discovered? It basically depends on the relationship between the child and the suspect. If the child and the suspect have normal daily contact, i.e. the suspect is a teacher or a coach maybe even a close neighbor, then some measures need to be taken to insure the integrity of the criminal case, and again, I have several goals with the first and foremost being the protection of the child, i.e. keep them away from the suspect. Secondarily is the...(read more)

So now what do I do?

2007-11-15T03:58:00Z

“I believe my underage son/daughter is having an inappropriate relationship and/or is communicating with an adult. Now what do I do?” This is to help any parent with the realization their child is now a potential victim. I unfortunately can only speak of California law and the related investigation; however, I can suggest some good common sense approaches to address the issue. As a police officer, I have several immediate issues that I have to address upon learning of a possible child exploitation...(read more)

Did She…Or Didn’t She? – Part I

2007-11-13T20:07:00Z

James N. Brown, J.D. Detective - Retired In my last few blogs, I discussed how a predator needs a target-rich environment. Part of that discussion included the possibility that schools provide such a target-rich environment and that a predator may be employed as a teacher in order to have access to a number of potential victims. The number of cases involving female teachers sexually involved with their students has doubled in the last five years. These types of cases have caught the attention of...(read more)

Driving update

2007-10-27T15:26:00Z

My daughter has been driving for a few weeks now, and the contract is working perfectly. She calls her mother or I every time she has a new errand to do or if she is ever held up at work or school. Part of why the contract is working so well is she is convinced we have placed a GPS tracking device in her car. We will never tell her differently. I truly believe the feeling we are “watching over” her at all times is a good thing. The thought of our boss (or parent) catching us doing something inappropriate...(read more)

Target-Rich Environments – Some Final Thoughts

2007-10-27T01:09:00Z

James N. Brown, J.D. Detective - Retired A few days ago, Fox News ran a story about teachers and sexual misconduct with their students. In the story, Fox News relied on an investigation conducted by the Associated Press (AP). The AP had competed a five-year survey of state disciplinary actions against teachers. The AP found that 2,570 teachers had been punished for sexual misconduct. As I listened to the story, I had two thoughts. First, how unfortunate that such an honorable profession was made...(read more)

A Target-Rich Environment – Part 3

2007-10-16T19:02:00Z

James N. Brown, J.D. Detective - Retired It is estimated there are 25 million to 30 million children, ages 10-17, using the Internet today. To a predator, this is a target rich environment . No longer does a predator need to leave his home and venture forth into the public to target potential victims. No longer is his pool of potential victims a small group. He can now stay in the isolation of his home and prowl the Internet and its chat rooms to find unsuspecting children. In addition to sheer numbers,...(read more)