Cyber Safety
Learn about the risks of and tactics used by online predators as well as what constitutes a cyber crime and how to report it
Learn how to identify potential threats that could endanger your child as well as important tips and safety measures
Information about protecting yourself while surfing the internet, safeguarding personal information and avoiding potentially dangerous situations
Learn how to protect yourself online while playing games, surfing the internet and having fun
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| address: |
Attorney General of Florida The Capitol, PL-01 Tallahassee, FL 32399 |
| phone: | (850) 414-3300 |
| website: | www.myfloridalegal.com |
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| news: | Weekly Newsletter |
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Press Releases
Attorney General Charlie Crist Press Release
Printer FriendlyAttorney General's CyberCrime Unit Files First Charges
- Serviceman charged with distributing child pornography-
TALLAHASSEE - Attorney General Charlie Crist today announced the first charges filed by his office's new CyberCrime Unit, against a Filipino citizen accused of possession and distribution of child pornography. Investigators from the CyberCrime Unit recently arrested Karel Ikbala, a 20-year-old sailor in the U.S. Navy, after seizing multiple images of child pornography from his home computer.
CyberCrime Unit investigators used covert Internet search methods to locate approximately 15 movies or photos that appeared to be pornographic images of children. Ikbala, currently assigned to the Jacksonville-based U.S.S. Kennedy, made the images available for distribution through a computer at his residence in Atlantic Beach. A search warrant was executed at the residence, with the assistance of the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and the images were seized.
Attorney General Crist established a dedicated CyberCrime Unit this fall in order to focus on the growing problem of crimes committed via the internet, particularly against children. CyberCrime investigators conduct covert investigations online and target individuals who prey on children as well as those who pollute the internet with images of child pornography. This unit allows law enforcement and prosecutors to focus on an area that poses a grave danger to children but can be too technically complex and ever-changing for some local law enforcement agencies to emphasize. The unit is supported in part by the federally funded Internet Crimes Against Children task force.
"Internet crimes against children are rising with the spread of computer technology, and our CyberCrime Unit is designed to help law enforcement bring online pornographers to justice," said Crist. "By using the latest resources and techniques, our investigators will be able to partner with local authorities to identify, track and shut down the vile predators who target defenseless children."
A study by the Crimes Against Children Research Center several years ago indicated that at least 24 million children between the ages of 10 and 17 use the internet regularly. One out of every five of these children received a sexual solicitation, one in every four received unwanted pictures of naked people or people having sex, one in every 17 was threatened or harassed and one in every 33 received an aggressive sexual solicitation asking the recipient to meet, phone or accept gifts.
The case against Ikbala will be prosecuted jointly by the Fourth Circuit State Attorney's Office and the Attorney General's Office. Ikbala was arrest October 20 and today was charged with one count of promoting the sexual performance of a child and four counts of possession of child pornography. Ikbala faces a maximum prison sentence of 30 years if convicted on all counts.
The CyberCrime Unit's mission statement directs it to protect children from computer-facilitated sexual exploitation by working cooperatively on a statewide basis with law enforcement and prosecution agencies to provide resources and expertise, while preventing the spread of these crimes through education and community awareness.
The creation of the CyberCrime Unit is one of several important initiatives taken by the Attorney General's Office to protect Florida's children. Other initiatives – all of which are available through the Attorney General's home page (http://myfloridalegal.com) – include a site specifically dedicated to child safety. The Child Safety site includes a Sex Offender Search website, which allows parents to locate registered sex offenders living within a five-mile radius of any Florida address; the SafeSteps brochure, a parents guide to online safety, child abduction and runaway issues, and the NetSmartz program, an interactive educational resource that teaches children how to stay safer on the Internet.