Recent cases of alleged child pornography have a federal agency asking parents to step up their monitoring of children.
Homeland Security Investigations, a department in Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, is the principal investigative arm for the Department of Homeland Security. Special Agent John Ferreira is stationed in Wichita and is currently assigned to the Kansas State Task Force on Internet Crimes Against Children, working exclusively on child exploitation and Internet-based crimes since 2013 after joining the agency in 2004. Before joining HSI, Ferreira was an Arizona state trooper and served in the US Marine Corps. He tells KVOE News the Internet is now a key component of life, so he and other authorities are busy. He says issues often start because children and teenagers aren’t monitored by their parents.
Because children are now often — or usually — more tech-savvy than parents, Ferreira says adults can bridge that particular gap with open communication and with education about social media apps. Children, on the other hand, should expect their parents to be proactive.
Ferreira says an apparently innocent social media friend request from a stranger can turn into an exchange of sexually explicit images within a few hours. He also reminds parents that images posted to the Internet don’t go away.
Ferreira and other HSI staff can’t comment on cases currently underway, whether they have or haven’t been publicized, although the agency is listed as investigating the current federal case against Americus resident Brandi Snyder and a federal trial is set for next month in the case of Cottonwood Falls resident Walter Haskin. Ferreira urges residents to report any suspected sexual activity to law enforcement, and he encourages residents to also use the HSI tips line at 866-347-2423. More information is also available online through the HSI iGuardian program.
