Trinity Mount Ministries - DOJ - PROJECT SAFE CHILDHOOD - Justice News - UPDATE - 08/18/2020

PROJECT SAFE CHILDHOOD

Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the 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.

JUSTICE NEWS

August 18, 2020

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Camden County man snared in child sex-trafficking sting sentenced to federal prison

August 17, 2020

Press Release

Green Island Man Pleads Guilty to Receipt and Possession of Child Pornography

August 17, 2020

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Registered Sex Offender Sentenced To 35 Years In Prison For “Sextorting” More Than 40 Minors

August 17, 2020

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Charleston, Ill., Man Charged with Child Sex Crimes, Ordered to Remain in Custody

August 17, 2020

Press Release

Elizabethton Man Sentenced For Distribution Of Child Pornography

RESOURCES

Amber Alert

iKeepSafe

INOBTR ("I Know Better")

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

Office of Educational Technology Internet Safety

Read the Project Safe Childhood Fact Sheet »

Featured Videos

View the Project Safe Childhood Video Page »

More time at home for kids heightens concern for water safety

BY GRISELDA ZETINO

JULY 28, 2020

(Pixabay Photo)

PHOENIX – Like most summer programs and activities for kids throughout Arizona, a camp that offers free swim lessons and water safety education in Phoenix had to be canceled this year.

And that’s a big concern for Karen Cohn.

She and her husband lost their son Zachary Archer Cohn in a pool drain entrapment in their backyard swimming pool in 2007. A year later, they founded the ZAC Foundation in his honor.

The Connecticut-based nonprofit educates kids and their families about the importance of water safety.

But this will be the first time in a decade that the group will not be able to hold its four-day ZAC Camp nationwide, including Phoenix, where about 100 kids ages 5-9 participate every summer.

Cohn said water safety is even more urgent now with the coronavirus pandemic.

Related Links

• 1-year-old boy dead following drowning in Buckeye
• 2-year-old found at bottom of Mesa pool dies at hospital
• 3-year-old girl dies after being pulled from pool in Glendale

She said not only are water safety summer camps and programs like the ZAC camps canceled, parents are more distracted as they try to juggle working from home and trying to supervise their kids.

One way she said parents are trying to keep their kids entertained is by “running out and buying kiddie pools and inflatable pools without being aware of the danger that they could pose to young children.”

Drowning is a leading cause of death for young children ages 1 to 14, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“A young child can drown in less than 2 inches of water,” Cohn said.

“So even if you have a bucket that has water left in it, young children can fall in and not be able to get themselves back up right.”

The latest data from Children’s Safety Zone shows 10 children under 5 have drowned in Maricopa and Pinal counties so far this year.

Cohn said now more than ever she feels it’s urgent to educate parents about water safety, starting with never leaving a child alone anywhere near water, even if a lifeguard is present.

She also recommends adding layers of protection to keep kids from reaching above-ground pools. That includes ensuring that pools are fenced and have self-latching gates or alarms.

For smaller and inflatable pools, Cohn recommends emptying the water and turning them upside down when they’re not being used.

“It’s really important to also not leave toys in these pools, because children are attracted to those toys,” she said.

She also warned parents about flotation devices, like inflatable floaties and tubes. She said they can give children a false sense of security that they can swim.

“Talk to them about that,” she said. “Also give them the opportunity to get in the water without these flotation devices, so they can understand what it feels like when they’re in the water and they can’t swim.”

And be aware of pool drains. She said if a drain is not working properly, everyone in the pool should get out immediately.

“No one should be swimming in it until it’s repaired,” she said. “Not only can children become entrapped, adults can as well. It’s hundreds of pounds of pressure that can only be released when the pool pumps are shut down.”

More water safety tips can be found on the ZAC Foundation’s website.

FAMILY TRAVELS CROSS-COUNTRY TO JOIN SEARCH FOR MISSING DAUGHTER

 

The family of 22-year-old Abigael Bellows arrived in Oregon Friday as the search for the woman, who disappeared under the waters near Clearwater Park, entered its fourth day.

Posted: Jul 25, 2020 5:47 PM

Updated: Jul 26, 2020 8:59 AM

Posted By: Jacob Roberts 

SPRINGFIELD, Ore. – The family of 22-year-old Abigael Bellows arrived in Oregon Friday as the search for the woman, who disappeared under the waters near Clearwater Park, entered its fourth day.

Tressa Bellows, Abigael’s mother, said her daughter was swimming with friends along the Middle Fork Willamette River near Clearwater Park on Wednesday when witnesses saw her disappear underwater without a lifejacket. Bellows said search crews responded immediately to the scene, but were unable to locate her daughter.

RELATED: SEARCH CONTINUES FOR SWIMMER MISSING NEAR CLEARWATER PARK

Crews with Lane County Search and Rescue have combed the area every day since Abigael disappeared, but with no luck. Bellows said searchers have been using boats, divers, dogs and drones during their searches.

“We are hoping and praying that the river releases her, and search and rescue is able to bring her back to us,” Bellows said.

Abigael’s family, who live in Pennsylvania, arrived Friday night in time to join searchers Saturday morning.

Bellows said her daughter has lived in Eugene for the past two years and moved here after falling in love with the area while visiting.

“She is incredibly beautiful. She is smart. She is loving. She is full of hope and positivity. And her energy – it’s too big for this world,” Bellows said.

Bellows said Abigael was a successful student at Duquesne University, but left to pursue interests in the environment and was passionate about sustainable food.

“She came out to the west coast and she fell in love with the lifestyle here,” Bellows said. “She wanted to forge her own path. She wanted to make her own mark in the world.”

Longtime parkgoers said that the

What to do when you find CSAM or evidence of child sex trafficking online

In the year 2000, just about half of all American adults were online. Today, nine-in-ten adults use the internet in the United States, according to Pew Research Center.

And in 2020, Americans, along with the rest of the world, are spending even more time online. People are spending 45% more time on social media since March of 2020 globally, with a 17% increase in the U.S., according to Statista.

Unfortunately, as our time spent online has increased, so has the chance that we may come across abusive content on the platforms where we should all feel safe.

Because we are not a direct-service organization, Thorn is not able to field reports of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) or child sex trafficking. But since we build software and tools aimed at detecting, removing, and reporting abuse content, we can help to point you in the right direction should you ever inadvertently come across harmful content.

Reporting this content through the right channels as a community helps to keep platforms safe, and could lead to the identification of a victim or help to end the cycle of abuse for survivors.

Here’s what to do if you find CSAM or evidence of child sex trafficking online.

Child sexual abuse material and child sex trafficking

First we need to talk about what child sexual abuse material (CSAM) is, and how it’s different from child sex trafficking.

Child sexual abuse material (legally known as child pornography) refers to any content that depicts sexually explicit activities involving a child. Visual depictions include photographs, videos, digital or computer generated images indistinguishable from an actual minor. To learn more about CSAM and why it’s a pressing issue, click here.

As defined by the Department of Justice, child sex trafficking “refers to the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, obtaining, patronizing, or soliciting of a minor for the purpose of a commercial sex act.” To learn more, click here.

Now let’s look at how to report this type of content should you ever come across it online:

1. Never share content, even in an attempt to make a report

It can be shocking and overwhelming if you see content that appears to be CSAM or related to child sex trafficking, and your protective instincts might be kicked into high gear. Please know that you are doing the right thing by wanting to report this content, but it’s critical that you do so through the right channels.

Never share abuse content, even in an attempt to report it. Social media can be a powerful tool to create change in the right context, but keep in mind that every instance of CSAM, no matter where it’s found or what type of content it is, is a documentation of abuse committed against a child. When that content is shared, even with good intentions, it spreads that abuse and creates a cycle of trauma for victims and survivors that is more difficult to stop with every share.

It’s also against federal law to share or possess CSAM of any kind, which is legally defined as “any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a minor (someone under 18 years of age).” State age of consent laws do not apply under this law, meaning federally a minor is defined as anyone under the age of 18.

The same goes if you think you’ve found illegal ads promoting the commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC), such as child sex trafficking. Sharing this content publicly may unwittingly extend the cycle of abuse. Instead, be sure to report content via the proper channels as outlined below.

2. Report it to the platform where you found it

The most popular platforms usually have guides for reporting content. Here are some of the most important to know:

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Instagram

But let’s take a moment to look at reporting content to Facebook and Twitter.

Reporting content to Facebook

Whether you want to report a page, post, or profile to Facebook, look for the three dots to the right of the content, click on them, and then click on Find support or report Page.

From there you will be guided through the process and will get a confirmation that your report has been received. Be sure to select Involves a Child when making your report.

Reporting content on Twitter:

While you can report a tweet for violating Twitter’s policies in a similar way to Facebook content (clicking the  button to report a tweet), if you are reporting child exploitation content on Twitter, there’s a separate process that ensures reports of CSAM or other exploitative content are given priority.

First, click here to see what content violates Twitter’s child exploitation policies. Then fill out this form with the appropriate information, including the username of the profile that posted the content, and a link to the content in question.

To find the direct link to a tweet, click the share button at the bottom of the tweet and select Copy link to Tweet.

For any other platforms, you should always be able to easily find a way to report abuse content with a quick online search. For example, search for: Report abusive content [platform name].

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children also offers overviews for reporting abusive content for multiple platforms here.

3. Report it to CyberTipline

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) is the clearinghouse for all reports of online child sexual exploitation in the United States. That means they are the only organization in the U.S. that can legally field reports of online child sexual exploitation. If NCMEC determines it to be a valid report of CSAM or CSEC, they will connect with the appropriate agencies for investigation.

Fill out the CyberTipline report by clicking here.

This is a critical step in addressing the sexual exploitation of children online. Be sure to fill out as much detail as you’re able.

4. Report CSEC to the National Human Trafficking Hotline

If you find evidence of child sex trafficking, call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.

Managed by Polaris, the hotline offers 24/7 support, as well as a live chat and email option. You can also text BEFREE (233733) to discreetly connect with resources and services.

5. Get your content removed and connect with resources

If you have been the victim of explicit content being shared without consent, the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative put together a guide for requesting content to be removed from most popular platforms.

If you have been the victim of sextortion—a perpetrator using suggestive or explicit images as leverage to coerce you into producing abuse content—take a look at our Stop Sextortion site for more information and tips on what to do.

NCMEC has put together a robust list of resources for survivors of sexual abuse material.

6. Practice wellness

Close the computer. Take a deep breath. Go for a walk.

This is an extremely difficult issue, and if you’ve just gone through the steps above, it means you’ve recently encountered traumatic material.

But you’ve also just taken a first step in what could ultimately be the rescue of a child or the cessation of a cycle of abuse for survivors.

Practice the things that create balance and support in your life, and if you need to, connect with additional resources. Text the Crisis Text Line to connect discreetly with trained counselors 24/7.

Or maybe you’re left with the feeling that there’s more work to be done. Learn more about local organizations working in this space and see if they offer volunteer opportunities. Fundraising for your favorite organizations can also make a huge difference.

If you’re here, whether you’re making a report or just equipping yourself with knowledge should you ever need it, you’re joining a collective movement to create a better world for kids. Know that you are part of a united force for good, one that won’t stop until every child can simply be a kid.

Facebook - Blocking Missing Children Posters and Child Safety Posts...AGAIN!

Now - this message is being shared on LinkedIn, Twitter and the Trinity Mount Ministries Blog:

Dear Facebook Administration - thank you for - once again - blocking Trinity Mount Ministries for the next week:

What did I do wrong this time? As if you're actually going to treat me like a paying client rather than an algorithm. Do you not like my posts of missing children posters and child safety posts?

Also, I've been trying to pay my Facebook ads bill for months - you tell me in one of your automatic messages that I don't have authority to make my payment?

Once again, Facebook is attacking our efforts to help find missing children and protect children by promoting child safety.

Like before - when you restricted me from posting Trinity Mount Ministries alerts and notifications, I will publish this issue to multimedia outlets and everywhere else I can post it.

Once again, it seems like Facebook Administration is against the safety and well-being of children...what a shame.

Brett Fletcher, MHRS, MS.Psy, Th.G - Founder of Trinity Mount Ministries

PS - This is no way to treat a client that has spent thousands of dollars on Facebook ads. I wish your boss -  Mark Zuckerberg could read this. But, no, that won't happen. I'm sure he's too busy to deal with your many mistakes throughout the many years concerning banning the efforts of Trinity Mount Ministries to make a difference in the lives of children locally, statewide, nationally and globally, as well as our efforts to combat Child Trafficking and promote child safety. Once again, nice job Facebook.

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

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.