Law and Order October 30, 2009 By Chief Marco Kuyachich, Lake County Sheriff's Department The Internet: Educational, Yet Perilous   Now that the school year is in full swing, your children are learning the skills that will benefit them in their future years and career. These skills are honed by teachers in classrooms throughout Lake County. The skills our children learn in the classroom and at home from their parents are of the utmost importance, as they will help to guide our children into their futures.    Parents and teachers work hard to insure their children (students) are safe and secure; the potential threats to our efforts are constantly changing and evolving.  We are living in a world that is increasingly driven through technology.  While the Internet is a phenomenal tool in assisting students with education, it is an unfortunate fact that sexual predators use it as an avenue to find and exploit our children.  The Crimes Against Children Research Center indicates that one in four youths in the past year have been sexually approached or solicited online.   For this reason, the Lake County Sheriff’s Department has developed and now maintains a full time educational and enforcement unit within our Child and Family Assistance Bureau.  The Internet Safety program specializes in educating parents and children in understanding the ways in which predators seek out our children. In addition it explains how to navigate and become aware of social networks, the language of the internet, and assists both parents and children how to avoid falling victim to a child predator.   The Lake County Sheriff’s Department is committed to providing our community with the knowledge necessary to protect our youth, along with searching and prosecuting sexual predators.   I highly recommend that you visit us at the Lake County Sheriff’s Department website— www.lakecountysheriff.com and click on Internet Safety to learn more about the program or to schedule a presentation for your school or group.    Remember, “Internet Safety Begins at Home” Let us help you protect - - - YOUR CHILDREN Notice to Reader: The following are comments from readers. In no way do they represent the views of editor of the article or 219.com. We will not edit or alter your comments, but we do reserve the right to not post or to remove comments that violate our code of conduct. No comment may contain potentially libelous statements; obscene, explicit or racist language; personal attacks, insults or threats