7 SMART HALLOWEEN SAFETY TIPS - CHILD RESCUE COALITION

 

7 SMART HALLOWEEN SAFETY TIPS

When the seasons change and the pumpkins appear, it can only mean one thing, Halloween. It’s kids’ favorite night of the year! Costumes and masks, candy and more candy, and late nights trick-or-treating. But that also means more people lurking in the streets and online looking to see where children may be.

So before the sun goes down on October 31st, make sure to read these Seven Halloween Safety Tips, and plan ahead for a safe and fun-filled evening.

7 SMART HALLOWEEN SAFETY TIPS

1. Use Apps for Safety: Apps such as Red Panic Button and AT&T’s FamilyMap provide ways to quickly locate your child in case of an emergency. Also Life 360 may be the most popular app to track children, and allows you on nights like Halloween to invite a circle of friends to track as well.
2. GPS Tracking Device – If your kids don’t have phones, Safewise has a great list of GPS tracking devices that can be used for your kids. These will give older kids and tweens more independence but give parents more security of their well-being.
3. Use a Sex Offender Search App: Family Watchdog is a free website service to help locate registered sex offenders in your area. Or you can activate your smartphone’s GPS and connect to the National Sex Offender Registry to locate registered sex offenders and predators in the area. You can search by name, address, and zip code, and results will be displayed on an interactive map. The app is free and easy to share with fellow parents to ensure your child’s trick-or-treat route is safe.
4. Establish Boundaries: Mobile navigation tools can assist parents and kids in creating routes to follow and others to avoid. You can also use the Next Door app to create a neighborhood watch. Also, remind your child to only trick-or-treat at well-lit houses, and to remain on the porch within street view at all times.
5. Create Lines of Communication: Save ICE (In Case of Emergency) numbers in your child’s speed dial. Include your number, a neighbor’s and/or a grandparent’s. Also, be sure your child knows how to dial 911 and can provide important information such as street, location, and landmarks.
6. Use Reflective Materials: Have your child wear or carry something that glows in the dark. You might choose a glowing necklace, a glow-in-the-dark treat bag, or a flashlight. You can even put reflective tape on a costume.
7. Don’t Go Anywhere with Strangers – Teach your children never to enter a stranger’s home or car, even if they have a cool haunted house they want to show you. Stay outside unless a responsible adult is with you.

Halloween is a night that celebrates all that’s scary but we don’t want to frighten our kids away from having fun. By implementing some smart safety strategies and providing awareness, all kids and parents can have a safe and fun Halloween!

For more information on Child Rescue Coalition and how to keep kids safe online, visit www.childrescuecoalition.org. And read more posts like this on our education page!

Don’t forget you can like us on Facebook and Instagram for more helpful online safety tips!

Homeland Security Investigations Recognizes Asheville Federal Prosecutor For Her Work Combating Child Exploitation

 

Department of Justice

U.S. Attorney’s Office

Western District of North Carolina

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – U.S. Attorney Dena J. King announced today that Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) has awarded Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) Alexis I. Solheim the agency’s “Assistant U.S. Attorney of the Year” award, for her exemplary work in child exploitation cases investigated and prosecuted in the Western District of North Carolina. HSI’s recognition ceremony was held on Friday, October 7, 2022.

“The protection of the most vulnerable among us is a priority for my Office and the Justice Department,” said U.S. Attorney King. “AUSA Solheim is tasked with bringing to justice individuals who harm innocent children, which are often some of the most difficult and challenging cases handled by federal prosecutors. Through her legal work and advocacy, AUSA Solheim has demonstrated exemplary legal skill and professionalism, advocating for crime victims and holding offenders accountable for their actions. I am proud of AUSA Solheim’s achievement and I commend her for her legal successes and her work focusing on prevention and intervention.”

AUSA Solheim is a federal prosecutor in the Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville and serves as the Western District’s Project Safe Childhood Coordinator. In this capacity, AUSA Solheim is responsible for the investigation and prosecution of cases involving the sexual exploitation and abuse of minors. Launched by the Department of Justice in 2006, Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual abuse and exploitation. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Justice Department’s Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.

The HSI award recognizes AUSA Solheim for her outstanding work in numerous federal criminal prosecutions involving the production, receipt and distribution of child pornography, “traveler” or enticement crimes, and online child exploitation cases, among others. In addition to prosecuting federal matters, as the District’s Project Safe Childhood Coordinator, AUSA Solheim conducts trainings of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies on how to investigate and prosecute computer-facilitated crimes against children. AUSA Solheim also participates in community education programs, in order to raise awareness about the threat of online sexual predators and to provide the tools and information to children and parents on how to protect children and report possible violations.

AUSA Solheim began her career in public service in 2014, when she joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (SAUSA), working on criminal and civil matters in federal court. Ms. Solheim then became an Assistant District Attorney in Buncombe County, where she prosecuted state criminal offenses. In 2018, Ms. Solheim returned to federal prosecution as a SAUSA with North Carolina’s 43rd Prosecutorial District until 2021, when she was hired to serve as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

AUSA Solheim received her undergraduate degree from the University of South Carolina and her law degree from the Campbell University School of Law.

 

CyberTipline - NCMEC - Trinity Mount Ministries - Report Abuse! 1-800-843-5678

Help Find Missing Children. Let's Put An End To Child Abuse And Exploitation... Care. 

Overview

NCMEC’s CyberTipline is the nation’s centralized reporting system for the online exploitation of children. The public and electronic service providers can make reports of suspected online enticement of children for sexual acts, extra-familial child sexual molestation, child pornography, child sex tourism, child sex trafficking, unsolicited obscene materials sent to a child, misleading domain names, and misleading words or digital images on the internet.

What Happens to Information in a CyberTip?

NCMEC staff review each tip and work to find a potential location for the incident reported so that it may be made available to the appropriate law-enforcement agency for possible investigation. We also use the information from our CyberTipline reports to help shape our prevention and safety messages.

Is Your Image Out There?

Get Support

One of the worst things about sextortion is feeling like you’re facing everything alone. But you have people who care for you and want to help. Reach out to them!

A trusted adult can offer advice, help you report, and help you deal with other issues. It could be your mom, dad, an aunt, a school counselor, or anyone you trust and are comfortable talking to. You can also “self report” by making a report on your own to the CyberTipline.

Don’t Give Up

Having a sexual exploitative image of yourself exposed online is a scary experience. It can make you feel vulnerable and isolated, but remember, others have been in the same situation as you – and they’ve overcome it. 

Learn the steps you can take to limit the spread of the content.