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Online Safety By The Book

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By KEITH MORELLI, The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 5, 2007

TAMPA - Four-year-old Alexandra Seelig is plopped down in front of a computer screen at Brandon Regional Library next to her big sister, 7-year-old Isabella.

In their ears are 'bugs,' small earphones that talk to them. On the screen is a 20-minute course on how not to fall victim to Internet predators.

Are they too young for this dose of reality? Never too young, said the girls' mother, Marcela. Like many children, the Seelig sisters know their way around a keyboard, and instruction on Internet safety always is a good idea, their mother said.

Both girls, students at Shiloh Elementary Charter School in Plant City, are library denizens and use their library cards to log on to the computers there.

Beginning this week, they became part of a culture of prevention at the Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative, which began a policy Monday of requiring anyone 17 or younger to take the course before setting foot in cyberspace on a library computer.

Marcela Seelig preaches computer safety to her daughters at home, telling them about predators online and how to avoid becoming involved with them.

'Sometimes it doesn't matter how many times you tell them,' she said. 'Sometimes they learn more from other people.'

The exposure of computer users to unsavory material is inevitable, and the new library program attempts to school young users of library computers on how to recognize threats.

The value of such a program was made clear this week when a 15-year-old Polk County girl was abducted by a registered sex offender who made contact with her through a chat room, authorities said.

Polk County sheriff's deputies said the man, William Mitchell, 46, of Jacksonville, may have portrayed himself as a teenager.

The girl climbed out her window early Monday morning and met Mitchell, authorities say. He drove her to the Panhandle, where he threatened her before setting her free in DeFuniak Springs. She returned home Wednesday.

As of Thursday, authorities still were looking for Mitchell.

Course Required For Young Users

There is no foolproof way to block solicitations targeting teens, but young people who use computers in Hillsborough County libraries will know what to do when it happens.

All young users of computers in the county's 27 main, regional and branch libraries were required to complete an Internet safety program before using public computers. Library officials say the free course, offered by NetSmartz, is 'an interactive, educational safety resource that teaches children and teens how to recognize and report dangers on the Internet.'

Over the summer, computer users younger than 18 were urged to take the 20-minute course, said Braulio Colon, spokesman for the library. From June 1 through Monday, about 2,800 teens and youngsters took the course, he said.

'It's a national problem,' Colon said. 'The threat is real. What the county recognized was that there are a lot of kids in the libraries, and we want to provide the tools they need to be safe while on the Web.'

The course focuses on three main points, he said. Students learn that there are predators and ways to recognize them. The course also teaches youngsters how to report the danger.

'It tells them to tell a trusted adult, a parent, teacher or librarian, and that adult can report it to the proper authorities,' he said.

'We've got nothing but positive feedback from parents and kids,' Colon said.

Maintaining Library Safety

Thousands of youngsters use the 975 computers in the county's libraries, he said. 'Demand for the Internet has gone through the roof. The library has always been known as a safe place. We want to make sure that the library remains a safe place.'

According to ProtectKids .com, the Internet provides the perfect forum for pedophiles to make contact with unsuspecting children. The Web site says 89 percent of sexual solicitations of youths are initiated in chat rooms and 20 percent of 10- to 17-year-olds have been sexually solicited over the Internet.

At the Brandon library, nearly 300 teens and preteens took the course over the summer. Monday, when the course became mandatory, 'we were slammed,' said Regina Pengler, the technical assistant at the library.

Anyone younger than 18 who tries to log on to the computers without taking the course will be denied access by the system, she said.

Everyone who completes the course gets some perks, including free tickets to Lowry Park Zoo, The Florida Aquarium, the Museum of Science & Industry and free stuff at area Waffle House restaurants.

They also get to keep their 'ear bugs.'

Reporter Keith Morelli can be reached at (813) 259-7760 or at kmorelli@tampatrib.com.

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