Haverling will advise parents on Internet safety
By ROB PRICE THE COURIER-ADVOCATE

PHOTO BY ROB PRICE Websites such as MySpace, pictured above, are playgrounds for pedophiles, according to Bath village police. The Haverling school district will host a seminar on website safety Jan. 30.

BATH — With the internet websites like MySpace and Facebook surging in popularity, the Haverling school district is taking steps to warn students and their parents about the dangers of on-line relationships.

The district will host an internet safety program from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Jan. 30 in the high school auditorium. The program is free and open to both parents and community members.

The presentation will include tips from school officials, Bath village police, state police and representatives of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is sponsored by a federal grant through the U.S. Justice Department.

Bath police have issued warnings in the past about the potential danger of websites such as MySpace.

“It’s a playground for pedophiles,” said police chief David Rouse last week.

Children and teenagers who list personal information or simply post their own photograph on such sites are exposing themselves to potential trouble.

“The basic problem,” said Rouse, “is that many of these kids are putting way, way too much information on these websites. Personal information, addresses, phone numbers. The danger is that anyone with a MySpace account can pretend to be anyone they want to be.

“That 13-year-old you think you’re chatting with may be a 50-year-old pervert.”

Bath police Sgt. Andy Dubois advises against placing any personal data on the internet. “I wouldn’t give out any personal identifying information,” he said. “Some kids list their names, their birth dates and the schools they go to. That’s all the information people need to track them, find out where they live.”

Rouse said parents should discuss the matter with any child interested in opening an on-line account with websites such as MySpace. “Make sure you tell them not to place personal information on the computer,” he warned.

Christopher Smith, technology director for the Haverling School district, said the goal of the upcoming seminar is to acquaint parents with the specific dangers of the on-line world and to offer tips on how to protect their children from on-line predators.