Tampa parents warned of Facebook, other online risks

The 16-year-old cheerleader put her face and name on the Internet - just for friends.

But soon, a stranger posing as a teenage boy began messaging her, telling her how pretty she was and reeling in bits and pieces about her life, like where she lived.

Then he copied her picture, put her head on nude photos and threatened to post them if she didn't send him pictures of herself naked.

Luckily, she told her dad and Hillsborough sheriff's deputies eventually arrested a church deacon who they said used a county library computer to terrorize the girl and a list of other children.

"Don't put your pictures on the Internet,' " sheriff's Detective Phil DuBord told about 65 parents Tuesday night at Wilson Middle School. "The best thing is to not put any information on your personal site.''

DuBord was scaring some parents, who hadn't thought about how their children's pictures could be manipulated.

Many had kids at nearby Gorrie Elementary, where administrators sent home a letter two weeks ago warning parents that some of the school's fifth-graders had Facebook pages with sexual innuendos, curse words and links to inappropriate sites.

"I'm keeping my kid off Facebook for as long as I can,'' vowed Lisa Wolf, the mother of a fifth- and third-grader at Gorrie. She said her kids aren't even allowed to have e-mail accounts.

"I'm more concerned about cell phones," said her friend, Leanne Turton, who also has children at Gorrie.

And she should be, DuBord said. Many cell phones have Internet access, which means children can be using the computer unsupervised.

"It's like letting them play with a loaded gun," the detective said before the meeting.

DuBord suggests parents talk with their children about computer safety now. Teach them to be wary of strangers online just as they would face to face.

Don't share passwords with friends. Delete messages from strangers and never agree to meet anyone in person. If something is making you uncomfortable, tell your parents or a trusted adult.

"We don't want to stop our children from using technology," DuBord said. "We just want to let them know there are consequences. And that's the problem with young minds; they don't know the consequences.''

Some parents suggested the school district start teaching students about cyber-safety, much like they do with Stranger Danger and other awareness programs.

Often, said Wolf, "They don't listen to mom and dad.''