Attorney General Coleman is committed to protecting all Kentuckians from online predators. The Cyber Crimes Unit, a branch of the Department of Criminal Investigations, is devoted to getting child predators offline and off the streets. Investigators from this unit concentrate their undercover investigation efforts on reducing child pornography online and catching adults soliciting minor children online for sex. The office's Special Prosecutions Unit then goes to work, prosecuting many of these cases and ensuring child predators go to jail and are placed on the Sex Offender Registry. Then, the Office of Criminal Appeals defends these convictions, making sure the dangerous predators stay behind bars.
Online Safety
The Cyber Crimes Unit makes it a priority to educate parents, children, prosecutors, and law enforcement on the dangers lurking behind the internet.
We know that as children spend more time online, they are more likely to encounter predators posing as peers or friends on social media platforms and apps. We encourage parents and caregivers to closely monitor their child’s online activity, on any online platform.
To protect children from cyber predators, parents should:
- Ask your child who they are communicating with online, and encourage them to only communicate with friends they know. Children often do not view their online “friends” as strangers, so it is important to have a conversation with your child about appropriate ways to communicate online with their friends.
- Use parental controls on your child’s devices so that they cannot access certain websites and content.
- Know the passwords to your child’s online accounts, including email and social media.
- Set limits on screen time.
- Establish rules for how, when, and where the internet can be used. Suggest that electronic devices are used only in communal areas of the home.
- Ask your child to identify a trusted adult who they can communicate with about online concerns.
The Office of the Attorney General has also partnered with Prevent Child Abuse Kentucky to offer statewide trainings for parents and caregivers on how to keep kids safe online. The trainings offer a free
Internet Safety Toolkit, which provides helpful information about how to protect children from cyber bullying and online predators. To learn more about current and upcoming child protection training opportunities in your community, visit our Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Trainings page.