CONWAY, SC – (WBTW) As kids spend more and more time online, safety concerns increase for parents.
As the school year begins, Sergeant Tim Troxell with the Horry County Sheriff’s Office says it’s imperative that parents monitor what their children are doing online and who they are messaging.
In addition to messaging, he says parents should know what apps their child is using as the major social media apps are not the only ones to look out for.
“Not just the big ones like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, but there is Kik, Find Me, Meet Me, Whisper,” Sgt. Troxell said. “There is a lot of apps out there that I encourage parents study online and be aware of and familiarize themselves with.”
The Horry County Sheriff’s Office works with the South Carolina Attorney Generals Office on internet crimes against children.
Sgt. Troxell tells News13, location services on smart phones can put vulnerable information at risk, and in some cases the exact longitude and latitude that a photo is taken at is documented.
“Generally they are not aware of what’s in the background,” Sgt. Troxell said. “A picture of their house is pictured in the background, a street number on the house, maybe a street sign, or they’re wearing their school clothing. They are giving away a lot of information without the intention to do so to someone who could take advantage of that.”
