Child Pornography Hurts

Wednesday, 30 September 2015 15:00

Parents and guardians are invited to an information session on how to protect your kids from online predators.

INGERSOLL - An Ingersoll based not for profit charity is hosting an information session that will look at ways to protect your kids from online predators.

Child Pornography Hurts is hosting the event in London and will feature keynote speaker and parent Cliff Ford. Ford is a father of two, from Toronto, and helped police track down a child pornography ring in Ohio after his 12 year old daughter was targeted online. He tells Heart FM what he hopes parents and guardians will take away from his presentation.

"I hope people understand that is a real threat, open your eyes and realize that this is a danger and you have to be proactive to make sure that your kids are safe, no matter what kids are going to go online we can't stop that, that's part of the world we live in, so as parents it's our responsibility we put in the checks and balances to make sure that they do it safely. Part of what I will be talking about is monitoring their online activities, having an open communication, so if they come across anything that is inappropriate they feel safe enough to come to us as parents."

Founder and Chair of Child Pornography Hurts Charlene Doak Gebauer tells Heart FM parents don't understand how prevalent child pornography is right now and their are rings on several online games that are geared towards kids.

"If you have a child that is 5 or 6 years old, do you want them to see the XXX pornography because that is their first stage in luring as a child predator and your child will not tell you that they have seen this as they are worried they will get in trouble. The crime of child pornography has increased by 40 percent annually since 2012, it is in epidemic proportions, we have been with the Project P of the OPP and they have told us that there are 11 and 12 year olds producing and distributing child pornography."

The organization has consulted with PROJECT P of the Ontario Provincial Police, London City Police, and therapists from London, Toronto, New York, New Hampshire, and Los Angeles to prepare additional content for this session. It's all happening at the Lamplighter Inn in London on Thursday October 1st from 7-10 p.m.