You have probably seen newspaper headlines like the ones here— sex offenders are beginning to take advantage of the Internet to contact potential victims. Some pedophiles have been caught by the police in the Internet sting operations trying to set up face-to-face meetings with unsuspecting children. Others have been arrested for posting images of child pornography on Internet sites.

However, police agencies cannot keep up with every criminal who decides to use the Internet for illegal purposes and there are sites on the Internet that are perfectly legal, but not suitable for children. Parents must take the lead in protecting their children from inappropriate items that appear on the Internet the same way that they shield their children from inappropriate movies that appear on television.