MOUNTAIN HOME, Ark. (KY3) – Law enforcement in the Ozarks are urging parents to know what their children are doing on their phones, and who they might be speaking to.

“At the end of the day, parents do need to monitor their kid’s phones, apps, and internet usage,” Baxter County Sheriff John Montgomery explained.

For law enforcement all over the Ozarks, it’s a crime that has seen a rise over the last few years. The stalking of minors online.

“We have seen an uptick, and of course, I would say that it goes in spurts,” Sheriff Montgomery stated.

For the sheriff, his department deals with multiple cases a year. Just this last week, an Amber Alert was issued for 13-year-old Kayden Pace from Phillips County, Ark. Investigators with the Arkansas State Police believe Pace was running away with a 25-year-old subject she met online.

Thankfully, she was found a few hours later, and the man was arrested, but the situation could have turned out much worse.

The sheriff said while more and more kids are accessing social media at a younger age, he also believes that some parents may not be up to date with newer technology.

“With the technology changing, and new apps coming out, it creates a challenge for parents to monitor their children,” Montgomery said.

In a news release, Arkansas State Police encouraged both parents and teenagers to know who they’re chatting with online.

“In a recent situation, we had a 25-year-old male acting as a 17-year-old boy and he was talking to multiple groups in our community,” Arkansas State Police Human Trafficking Coordinator Matt Foster stated.

What predators like this one do is make a personal connection with the child. When something negative happens in the child’s life, that’s when they make their move.

“Whenever there is a bad day at home, it turns into ‘I can help you. I can take you away from that,” Foster explained.

Both the sheriff and state police suggest sitting down with your child and going over what is ok and what isn’t, as it might be what keeps them safe in a fishy situation.

“I would encourage parents to sit down with their kids and have an honest dialogue, and let them know that we’re here to keep them safe,” Montgomery said.

Arkansas State Police and the Baxter County Sheriff’s Office have more resources for parents on internet safety available on their websites.

To report a correction or typo, please email digitalnews@ky3.com. Please include the article info in the subject line of the email.

Copyright 2024 KY3. All rights reserved.