Retired cop teaches parents to keep kids safe online

SANDUSKY — Retired sheriff's captain Scott Frank was blunt with Sandusky Schools parents this week about online dangers.In surveys he conducted with area parents before Thursday's presentation, about 80 percent of parents know little about children internet usage."We've got to have parents who help and empower their kids to make healthy choices," he said.Frank, who is a parent, has 36 years of law enforcement experience. He guided parents through popular social media applications, the internet and other social media topics during his talk Thursday at Sandusky High School.In recent months, the Oak Harbor native has given multiple similar presentations to local students and parents.Frank was most recently an internet crimes investigator, which he did for more than a decade. To catch child predators, he went into online chatrooms posing as children, mostly as a 12-year-old girl named Jill.To empower children to be responsible with their social media use, Frank emphasized the importance of having open lines of communication with their children. "I encourage you to do all you can for your kids," Frank said. "What our kids need is love, a hug, and a sit-down with them to ask 'tell me about your digital world.'"Among the tips and suggestions Frank gave to parents:• Sit down with children to decide what applications are needed and not needed on their mobile devices. On average, children have about 27 to 57 apps on a mobile device."Parents and children need to understand apps and how many to have on a device," Frank said. "(Neither) you nor your kids can manage 27 apps — I can't and I'm a professional."• Help children understand how content shared from an application impacts Google searches, as any sexually explicit images shared via social media, also known as sexting, do not go away. Sharing such images, which are classified as child pornography, is a felony offense. • Check with your child's self-esteem as it relates to social media."If children aren't getting their social needs met in a positive and healthy way offline, then the internet will meet their needs," Frank said.• Make sure location services and requests for personal information are not enabled with applications. Teens are 10 times more likely to have their identity stolen than their parents.• Consider giving an escape clause. If the child discloses inappropriate online behavior, the punishment doesn't have to include taking internet access away, Frank said. Retired law enforcement official Scott Frank talks to parents about Snapchat, a messaging application where messages can disappear within 10 seconds during his presentation Thursday, April 5, 2018 at Sandusky High School. Learn more• Scott Frank's presentation is at his website, digitalempowermentproject.com. Use the password empower for access • Read the Register's sexting series at sanduskyregister.com.Reach reporter Caitlin Nearhood at nearhood@sanduskyregister.com, follow her on Twitter @CaitlinNearhood and on Facebook.com/CaitliNearhoodRetired law enforcement official Scott Frank talks to parents about online sex trafficking during his presentation Thursday, April 5, 2018 at Sandusky High School.