With Growing Online Dangers, DOJ Offers Free Resources To Keep Kids Safe

The U.S. Department of Justice’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), is expanding its work with schools, athletic programs and community groups to address what they called a difficult but deeply important issue: the online sexual exploitation and abuse of children.  

In a letter released this week to schools and youth groups, is offering free training and prevention resources to help schools and youth groups keep children safe online.  

“As children and teens spend ever-increasing amounts of time on the internet, social media, and in online gaming and virtual reality environments, they are at increasingly greater risk of becoming victims of sexual exploitation and abuse,” Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva said in the letter. “Although online sexual exploitation and abuse has long been a grave threat to children, in recent years the threat has grown substantially in scale, complexity, and dangerousness.” 

According to CEOS, there were more than 21 million reports of suspected exploitation through the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children last year alone, including sextortion, online exploitation and explicit deepfake images that have led to teen suicides in more than three dozen cases. 

Matthew Harvey, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of West Virginia, encourages those who work with children to take advantage of the free training and resources. 

“The online dangers that our children face are real and frightening, but there are tools available to help prevent victimization,” Harvey said in a written statement. “Schools and youth-centered organizations can play a powerful role in protecting children by using the free trainings offered by the Department of Justice.” 

The DOJ is offering free prevention programming through webinars and presentations and can connect groups with experts who specialize in online safety.  

Contact CEOS via email at CEOS.Prevention@usdoj.gov or click here for more information about the Department’s prevention efforts.