Davidson was charged with committing lewd acts on a fifteen year old child; oral copulation of a child under the age of sixteen, furnishing a controlled substance and being armed in the commission of a felony. With internet safety becoming increasingly more important the District Attorney’s Office along with the Sheriff’s Office has headed up an effort to educate parents and educators about protecting children from online exploitation and abuse and have scheduled Project Safe Childhood. The event is open to the public and will be held May 1st at 6:30pm at the BOS chambers in the County Administration Center.
The United States Department of Justice
and the United States Attorney General’s Office will be making a presentation
to attendees regarding internet crimes against children. Sheriff Martin Ryan
said, “Based on my previous experience with the department of justice where we
did a lot of work with internet child predators, the problem is a huge one.” District
Attorney Todd Riebe said, “They
do these presentations in their district. I heard the Us Attorney McGregor
Scott on the radio a couple of weeks ago, and I said ‘you know what I need to
bring them here’.” Sheriff Ryan
points out, “It is occurring on a daily basis where offenders are targeting our
kids and utilizing their own skills as con people to be able to develop
relationships with children over the internet and victimize them either over
the internet or in the worst case scenario with the children going to meet with
the offenders.” Reibe added, “The days where child molesters would pull up along side a kid and
offer them candy and shove them in the back seat of a car, although it happens
it is very rare, now perpetrators use the computer. It’s much more common than
you would think.” That’s why, DA Reibe emphasizes, parents need to be
aware and prepared.
“Parents need to have these tips. If they’re anything like
me their computer skills are far outmatched by their children’s and they need
to be aware of what is out there and how you can prevent it. You need to be
vigilant of what your kids are up to.” Project Safe Childhood will provide ways
and ideas for parents to do just that. Sheriff Martin Ryan commented that, “One
of the making goals of the (event) we are going to put on is to attempt to hard
the target, as I like to say, and to give parents and children the tools they
need to protect themselves while they are on line.” Riebe states, “This whole thing is about
giving parents tips for monitoring the kid’s computer use and also ways they
can safe guard against perpetrators getting access to children. Some of it is technological. (Like)
software programs they can purchase. Also, (advice on) if they do notice
something is happening that seems to be inappropriate what they can do.”
Riebe says the threat is very real for parents and children. “It doesn’t matter
whether your living in Sacramento or Amador with computers everything is
accessible; everyone is accessible.” Ryan added, “We are pleased that the US
Attorneys Office and other law enforcement agencies in the community are coming
together to put this on for members of our community.” Project Safe Childhood will be held May 1st
at 6:30pm at the BOS chambers in the new Administration Center.