"Online predators": FBI and education leaders warn South Carolinians about online threats
COLUMBIA, S.C. (WACH) — What happens outside the classroom is just as important as what happens inside it. That’s why law enforcement and state education officials are taking online threats very seriously right now.
FBI and South Carolina education leaders say a lot of times, these threats involve money, explicit pictures, and sometimes even both, and they target every age group of students.
"Parents have to step up and take responsibility for educating themselves about these dangers, and educating their children on what they need to be on the lookout for," State Education Superintendent Ellen Weaver said.
It’s a concern that keeps on growing in South Carolina. Students are receiving threats daily, especially online, that could lead to potential danger and violence.
"These threats include online predators, nihilistic violent extremists intent on encouraging self-harm, and weapons or drugs," Special Agent Anish Shukla, FBI Columbia, said.
On Tuesday, more than 300 education and public safety officials met in Lexington County to focus on what to do about accounts targeting children.
People are sending messages to students asking for money or threatening explicit pictures. Leaders say parents should check every online platform to make sure their children aren't becoming victims.
Private investigator Chandra Cleveland says she has dealt with a sextortion incident before, between a child and an organization.
"The kid was away from home, he was on a field trip with that organization, and a sextortion started up again, and the person was telling him, 'I'm going to send these pictures to your parents," Cleveland said.
Cleveland says these incidents involving online threats have led to teens running away.
"These threats of runaways, they leave and go, and then they tell one friend, and that friend won't tell where that person is, until it gets to be so overwhelming, to the point where everyone is saying we're looking for her," Cleveland said.
Newberry County Sheriff Lee Foster says it's important for authorities to speak with tech experts about how the threats are being communicated, due to the growth of social media platforms.
Foster says they deal with threats in the schools several times a week, and thinks laws need to be modernized to address this issue.
"We probably should have the ability to have no trespassing in the cyber world too, if you don't want the content," Foster said.
Tuesday's symposium served as the first for the South Carolina Department of Education, and Weaver says they want to continue having these conversations as threats evolve. Weaver says providing teachers and school districts with information about online threats is non-negotiable.