Be Smart With Your Kids' Smartphone
FBI Jacksonville partners with local law enforcement and schools to keep connected kids safe
Special Agent CJ Goodman of FBI Jacksonville's Child Exploitation Task Force speaks at a Be Smart With Your Kid's Smartphone event in 2022.
Sara Peters isn't sure her daughter needs a cellphone, but the Jacksonville, Florida, mother of three is considering it because her 12-year-old often walks home from her after-school activities.
"I want to see where she is and be able to reach her anytime," said Peters, "but I'm also concerned about who else can see her online."
Peters is just one of the countless parents and caregivers around the country debating when to introduce their children to smartphones. And she is one of thousands who have attended the Jacksonville FBI’s "Be Smart With Your Kids' Smartphone" program, which aims to help parents and educators understand potential threats that accompany cellphones and how to prevent online sexual predators and violent extremists from engaging their kids online. The Jacksonville Field Office’s Child Exploitation Task Force and Community Outreach Unit started the outreach effort in 2018 and partner with local school districts to hold these public forums.
Peters attended the most recent event on February 15 at Creekside High School near Jacksonville. The FBI partnered with the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office and St. Johns County School District to help parents and caregivers understand the scope of the threat when kids are connected by devices to the rest of the world.
Jacksonville FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge (ASAC) Coult Markovsky told attendees that young people are pursued on virtually every online platform and gaming application by predators and extremist groups who use various tactics to lure children into engaging in inappropriate sexual or violent behavior.
In recent years, he said, the FBI has seen a significant increase in sextortion cases, which involve adults coercing minors to create and send sexually explicit images or videos. The adult offender then threatens to release the material unless the victim produces more or provides payment, also known as financially motivated sextortion.
In 2022, the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations received over 7,000 reports of online financially motivated sextortion of minors, and the FBI is aware of more than 20 minors who died by suicide after falling victim.
"The only thing common among all of our victims is that they had access to the internet," Markovsky told attendees during the recent event. "Sextortion affects children of both genders and crosses all ethnic and socioeconomic groups, and we fear the numbers will just keep growing if we don't do more to stop these online predators in their tracks."
"The only thing common among all of our victims is that they had access to the internet."
Coult Markovsky, assistant special agent in charge, FBI Jacksonville
FBI Jacksonville Assistant Special Agent in Charge Coult Markovsky addresses attendees at a Be Smart With Your Kids' Smartphone event at Creekside High School in February, 2024. He was joined by Lt. West Kennedy, of St. Johns County Sheriff Youth Services Unit, and special agents from the Jacksonville Field Office.
In 2020, when COVID-19 closed schools and students spent more time online, the FBI warned that incidents of child exploitation could rise. A year later, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's CyberTipline received 44,155 reports of online enticement of a child. In 2022, the number increased by 82% to 80,524.
"The surge in reports is disturbing and heartbreaking," said Markovsky. "And those numbers reflect only what is reported to us, so there could be many, many more victims."
This was the second time in a year that FBI Jacksonville partnered with the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office to help address growing concerns among law enforcement and school officials that many incidents may go unreported. St. Johns County Sheriff Rob Hardwick encouraged parents to overcome any hesitation and share concerns with officers so children can get the help they need.
"We are seeing a disturbing trend with the rise of child exploitation crimes involving predators using technology to target our kids," Hardwick said. "The importance of reporting incidents or suspicious behavior immediately to law enforcement cannot be stressed enough. Nothing is more important than the protection of our children."
FBI Jacksonville Acting Special Agent in Charge Mark Dargis addresses attendees at Be Smart With Your Kid's Smartphone event at Creekside High School in February 2024.
FBI Jacksonville Public Affairs Officer Amanda Videll discusses benefits of Safe Online Surfing program in 2019.
During the Be Safe With Your Kid's Smartphone events, officials showed how predators and violent extremists are exploiting new and emerging technologies.
Hardwick and Markovsky urged parents to have those difficult conversations with kids ahead of time so they are comfortable enough to reach out if they need help. The sheriff’s office and FBI have resources for to help. "Don’t hesitate to contact us," Markovsky said.
During the recent outreach event, officials highlighted investigations that the FBI and partners worked in the area, and they showed how predators and violent extremists are exploiting new and emerging technologies. In sextortion cases, for example, predators are using sophisticated software to manipulate images teens freely share to then threaten and extort them.
"When parents understand both the devices and schemes in-depth, they can better explain the risks to their kids and help them take steps to safeguard personal information and secure their online profiles,” said FBI Community Outreach Coordinator Josh Chancey.
Sara Peters found the support of law enforcement to be empowering. "I know we'll have to get her a phone at some point," she said, "but now I feel like I know what to do, and maybe I can stay one step ahead with their help."
ASAC Markovsky said when the time comes to get your child a phone, first have an open and honest talk about the people they could meet online and what those people might do.
"It will probably be a difficult, uncomfortable conversation,” he said. “But it's necessary because no matter their age, the unfortunate reality is that they will likely be targeted."
