A man who originates from outlook has been arrested on child pornography charges. Matthew Norman Ballek, 31, was arrested in Washington DC charged in February for distribution of child pornography which carries a minimum sentence of 5 years to a maximum of 20 years within the United States. 

With internet safety being a major concern these days, the RCMP have tips for parents and their children on how to keep safe. 

(From rcmp.gc.ca) 

  • Let your child know they can talk to you about anything and that you will always be there for them, no matter what. This is important because it builds trust, and also lets your child know that they can come to you without fear of judgment. 

  • Know that social media and information and communication technologies (ex: smart phones) are a regular part of your young person’s life. Threatening to take away their Internet access or smart phone can have detrimental effects; your young person will be a lot more reluctant to actually come and talk to you if something negative is happening to them online. 

  • Learn how young people are using the Internet. You may have a lot of preconceived notions about ‘social media’ and the Internet that are inaccurate.  Remember that the Internet and/or social media sites are not the issue; the way that some people use them is the problem. 

  • Set some personal boundaries for the young person (like the value of privacy when changing clothes, etc.), and teach them to live by those boundaries (The Door That’s Not Locked). 

  • Teach the young person about the dangers of posting personal information (location, school, full name, personal pictures) online. 

Also, the Canadian Center for Child Protection has many programs and initiatives to help combat exploitation of all children in all forms. They can be found here.