SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — A retired FBI agent warned parents that online predators are increasingly using gaming platforms to target children — especially during the summer when screen time increases and supervision often decreases.
“Unfortunately, pedophiles who get online are very, very manipulative,” said retired FBI agent Greg Rogers.
Rogers said predators are taking advantage, and gaming platforms have become a major access point.
“They get into gaming platforms and they represent themselves to be kids,” said Rogers.
He explained that predators build fake identities and target children, often without parents even realizing it.
“The real issue is kids now have so much access to all sorts of social media. A lot of the time when they’re on it, they’re unsupervised,” said Rogers.
During the summer months, he said, the number of cases goes up.
“You want to just say go outside, but they’re spending more hours per day on these platforms,” said Rogers.
He said parents should look for warning signs, such as: “This new friend of mine that I met, you know, on Xbox, that wants to meet up,” or “They just want me to send them some pictures.”
While law enforcement works to catch predators, Rogers said the first and most powerful line of defense is at home.
“I wish parents would be more involved in what their kids are doing,” said Rogers.
He added if parents suspect something, don’t wait, call your local police department.
_____