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AG: Cell phones can endanger children
By Christina Rowland, Staff Writer
Most parents are cognizant of the dangers that may be lurking on television, in the movies or on video games to their children, but State Attorney General Greg Abbott is urging them to be as aware of the dangers cell phones pose to children.
Abbott addressed those concerns Tuesday in Dallas.
“We are here today to provide a warning and a message,” he said.
Cell phones are a new way that child predators can get to their victims.
“Our office has seen a shift in the technology these predators are using,” Abbott said.
As technology changes, the youth of Texas gravitate toward those changes. A few years ago, desktop computers and laptops were the cool way that children communicated with each other and today it is texting and online chat rooms that can all be accessed with cell phones.
Abbott believes the most effective way to protect children from cell phone predators is to limit the ability to text, prohibit, access to chat rooms, and reduce the amount of downloads they are allowed.
“It is a fact that predators communicate with kids on devices such as [PDAs],” Abbott said. “What parents need to understand is that almost all cell phone companies across Texas have parental controls of some kind.”
Abbott held his press conference in an AT&T store where he was not only able to show cell phones but also talk about the parental controls that the company offers.
Adam Vital, vice president and general manager for AT&T of North Texas, said he understands that parents want their children to have cell phones because of accessibility and safety but he also wants to make sure parents know they can protect their children at the same time.
According to a study in September 2008 by Harris Interactive, an international research firm, about 79 percent of teen-agers ages 13 to 19 have mobile phone devices.
AT&T offers Media Net parental controls on all their cell phones to limit the online services that children can access.
Mari Maldinado recently bought her 11-year-old son a cell phone with Media Net. She is able to control who her son sends and receives text messages from, his Web access from his phone and also the actual hours he uses his phone.
“The reality is we can’t arrest all predators, and the best protection is parents,” Abbott said.
He is urging all parents who buy their children cell phones to also take the precautions necessary to keep their children safe from child predators.
Abbott established a Cyber Crimes Unit in 2003 that has arrested 104 predators since its inception. Some of these predators have communicated with victims via text and chat rooms accessed from cell phones.
Abbott recently requested that the Texas Legislature update the state’s sex offender registration laws. If enacted, the attorney general’s proposal would require that sex offenders register their e-mail addresses, mobile telephone numbers, social networking aliases, and other electronic identification information.
Until those laws are enacted parents must do their part to protect their children, he said.
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