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"Bill would boost task force fighting child crimes" via FOX 10

2/10/2015

PHOENIX (KSAZ) - A bill is quickly making its way through the Legislature; it would provide more resources to help catch child predators lurking online.

The bill has a lot of support with Arizona lawmakers; it would allocate $4.5 million to the Internet Crimes Against Children task force.

It's called Alicia's Law, named after a young girl who was just 12-years-old when she was abducted and abused by a man she met online.

"We're talking about real children, real victims, real people... when I was 12-years-old I was groomed and lured from my home by a predator who abducted me and held me captive in his basement dungeon," said Alicia Kozakiewicz.

Kozakiewicz is the namesake of Alicia's Law which is quickly making its way through the legislature. She is from back east and met a man on a Yahoo! chatroom. After talking for a few weeks the man lured her out of her house. She was held for four days in his house where she was raped, beaten, and tortured countless times.

Pictures and videos of the crime were posted online by her captor.

"Somebody had seen this video, and they were able to recognize this little girl on the missing poster as the girl in the video and they contacted law enforcement," she said.

Fortunately Alicia was saved, but many children are not. That is why Representative Paul Boyer introduced this bill to increase funding for the task force.

"The bill will allow us $4.5 million in lottery money to help us protect and rescue children," said Rep. Paul Boyer.

The bill is getting the backing of some heavy-hitting politicians in Arizona.

"If we want to attack that evil in Arizona, we need to do more," said Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery.

"What does it say about us as a society if we're not willing to commit the resources to help law enforcement help prosecutors prosecute those who commit unspeakable crimes," said Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich.

"I was given a second chance at life, and with that second chance at life I'm trying to save other children," said Kozakiewicz.

According to Rep. Boyer, there are only four investigators for the ICAC task force here in Arizona. With the additional funding, if the bill passes they would be able to hire up to 35 full-time investigators.

Source: http://www.fox10phoenix.com/story/28075492/2015/02/10/bill-would-boost-task-force-fighting-child-crimes

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Lawmaker: Use lottery money to fund child-exploitation investigations

2/4/2015

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PHOENIX – Thousands of Arizonans are trading in child pornography online and almost none of them are being investigated, said a state lawmaker who wants to spend leftover lottery money to help find and prosecute them.

“Children are being raped, tortured, abused – beastiality, the worst possible things that you can imagine, are occurring right here in Arizona, and we only have four full-time investigators in the entire state to proactively go after these guys,” said Rep. Paul Boyer, R-Phoenix.

Boyer authored HB 2517, which would direct $5 million of leftover state lottery funds each year to the Arizona Internet Crimes Against Children task force. The money would be used to hire up to 35 full-time investigators and forensic examiners to locate and prosecute people participating in the sexual exploitation of children, Boyer said.

There currently are four investigators and two forensic examiners working full time, a number that hasn’t changed since the task force was established in 2001. Boyer said that even with its limited resources, the task force rescued 70 children last year.

A typical investigator can handle around 20 to 25 cases a year, Boyer said.

“We have great laws on the books, but unfortunately we have little enforcement, and the guys on the task force, in my opinion, they’re heroes, because they’re going out there, and they’re rescuing kids,” he said at a House Judiciary Committee meeting in January.

Of the $5 million, $4.5 million would be used to fund the task force and $500,000 would go to a victims’ fund.

“That’s just really to help restore the victims to wholeness,” Boyer said. “They can utilize services at their discretion, what may be a good fit for them. Perhaps it’s counseling, perhaps it’s some kind of restorative services, really whatever the victim needs.”

Boyer started looking at ways to give the task force more funding after a friend informed him of the issue last May.

“I thought to myself, ‘What possible way could I come up with that isn’t a direct tax or general fund impact?’” Boyer told the committee.

Boyer’s bill is receiving support from The Alicia Project, led by Alicia Kozakiewicz, a Chicago resident who survived child sexual exploitation and advocates for Internet safety awareness. Kozakiewicz was abducted in 2002 at age 13 and raped and abused before she was rescued by the FBI.

Her foundation advocates for legislation, under the name Alicia’s Law, that would direct more money toward combating these crimes in all 50 states. So far, Alicia’s Law has passed in Virginia, Texas, Idaho, Tennessee and California with state funding.

“Law enforcement does not have the funding and resources to rescue these victims, and every child deserves the same chance that I had to be recovered,” Kozakiewicz said in a phone interview.

Boyer said the Internet Crimes Against Children task force would receive money from the Arizona State Lottery Commission only after all the beneficiaries are paid, and the attorney general would then be in charge of administering the enforcement fund.

Attorney General Mark Brnovich testified at the House Judiciary Committee meeting in favor of the bill.

“Ultimately, I’m a fiscal conservative, but there are folks out there, kids, that can’t protect themselves, and we have the obligation to protect the least among us,” he said.

Brnovich said it’s important to offer proper training for investigators, both in the technology necessary to track down criminals and on the psychological effects of the work.

“These are very very difficult cases emotionally on the detectives and the folks that have to investigate these crimes,” he said. “They also involve the Internet, they involve computers very often. The folks that are engaging in child pornography, child exploitation, those types of crimes, they’re very sophisticated in how they do it.”

Phoenix Police Detective Eric Oldenburg, who testified in support of the bill, was one of the four original investigators on the task force. After leaving in 2005 because of the emotional toll the work had on his personal life, he’s now back as one of the two forensic analysts responsible for connecting criminals to the evidence.

“Our goal as investigators is to find the victims that we don’t know about, and because of that it takes us going through every single bit of every single hard drive that we seize,” Oldenburg told the committee.

According to Boyer 60 to 65 percent of images intercepted in Arizona are of pre-pubescent children, most younger than 10 years old. Nine percent involve infants.

“The victims that we’re rescuing here still believe in Santa Claus,” Oldenburg said.

Arizona law enforcement agencies’ computer forensic detectives dealt with more minor sexual exploitation cases in 2014 than any other crime, at 106, followed by narcotics at 63, according to data collected by the Arizona Counter Terrorism Information Center’s Computer Forensic Unit.

“They have to sort through every single image, every single video, and I can’t even imagine what that would be like,” Boyer said. “That’s why it’s so important, I think, to hire more investigators to share that load.”

Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery told the committee it’s also critical to target those who create the child pornography.

“We don’t just have people within the state of Arizona downloading these images as consumers of this deplorable product; we actually have people who are abusing children and creating the product and then distributing it,” he said.

Montgomery noted that one Arizona resident was sentenced last April to 170 years after authorities found his collection of images and videos featuring the rape and torture of children.

“It involved infants, pre-pubescent children, the most vile and deplorable things you could imagine, and then some,” he said.

Boyer said Arizona ranks 13th in the country in the number of pornographic images and videos circulating that involve children.

“I don’t think that we should wait another day to see this legislation passed,” he said.

By Karla Liriano
Cronkite News

http://cronkitenewsonline.com/2015/02/lawmaker-use-lottery-money-to-boost-funds-for-child-exploitation-investigations/

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'Alicia's Law' would fund child exploitation force in Washington state

1/30/2015

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Alicia Kozakiewicz was 13 when she was lured from her Pittsburgh home by a man she met online.

She was taken to another state, chained in a basement and, for four days, raped, beaten and tortured. “My degradation was shared live, to an audience, over streaming video,” she said. A FBI internet crimes task force rescued her less than a week after she was abducted. Now, 13 years later, Kozakiewicz is advocating for “Alicia’s Law,” which would secure more funding for child exploitation task forces in Washington and other states.

Law enforcement agencies have limited resources for rescuing many victims of child pornography, Kozakiewicz says. “They have to look into these children’s eyes and say ‘I don’t have the ability to come get you’,” she said. “I know who you are, I know where you are and I know what’s happening to you, but I can’t come save you because I don’t have the manpower.”

Senate Bill 5215 would use unclaimed lottery prize money to fund child exploitation investigations. Sen. Pam Roach is prime sponsor of the bill to allocate up to $2 million every two years to Washington’s branch of Internet Crimes Against Children, one of 61 national task forces dedicated to ending child exploitation online.

Most of the money from unclaimed prizes stays in the state lottery fund to use for other prizes, but one-third is deposited in the development strategic reserve account.

Rep. David Sawyer is sponsoring companion House Bill 1281, which adds a $1,000 fine per image or video containing child pornography.

Seattle Police Captain Mike Edwards commands the Washington state task force, which in 2014 received more than 16,000 leads. It’s the job of six full-time employees to watch child pornography to identify victims and help prosecute sex offenders.

The task force needs more labor to handle its caseload, Edwards said. It’s a tough job to do for more than a few years, he said, and it can take years before a position is filled. “You don’t want to force anybody to do this,” he said. “It’s something they have to decide on their own.”

Local police departments offer some resources to assist with cases, but Edwards says agencies need more funding to devote full-time employees to child exploitation cases. “We’re getting crushed by the number of reports,” he said. Funding would help pay for more devoted employees.

Seven states have passed similar bills and Washington is one of five states considering “Alicia’s Law” this year. Both bills have received public hearings, but have not yet been scheduled for a vote.

Read article: http://capitolrecord.tvw.org/2015/01/alicias-law-would-fund-child-exploitation-task-force-in-washington-state/#.VOusYC5n-So

From left: Alicia Kozakiewicz, Sen. Pam Roach and Rep. David Sawyer.

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"13-Year-Old Ohio Girl Goes Missing 27-Year-Old Man Named as Suspect" via Alicia Kozakiewicz, ID CrimeFeed

1/7/2015

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By: Alicia Kozakiewicz

Thirteen year old, Kaitlin Walters from Burbank, Ohio was last seen leaving her home on December 30, 2014. He family has not seen her since. “We do believe she is with somebody right now,” said her mother, Faith Walters to ABC 5.

Walters, who also goes by KK or Katy, is 5’4”, weighs 110 lbs., has hazel eyes and blonde hair. When her hair is its natural brown, there are noticeable grey patches on her right/front hairline.

27-year-old, Walter Lee Dunn from Richmond, KY has been indicated to be a “person of interest.” Dunn is 6’1”, 150 lbs., and has brown hair and brown eyes. He may be driving a green 2002 Kia Sorento, with a Kentucky license plate, 412PNR.

This morning I spoke with the investigating officer regarding Walters’ disappearance and his diligence is to be commended.

Anyone with information should contact the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office at 330-287-570.

Additionally, There is a $2,300 reward for information that leads to her safe return. #findohiokaitlin

Alicia Kozakiewicz, is an Investigation Discovery contributor, as well as a survivor of abduction and child sexual exploitation. She is an international advocate for preventative safety education and effective legislation and has devoted her life to raising awareness of missing persons cases and protecting children against predatory crime.

Read the entire article on Crime Feed: http://crimefeed.com/2015/01/13-year-old-ohio-girl-goes-missing-27-year-old-named-suspect/

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"I was lured, kidnapped and raped at 13" via news.com.au

12/23/2014

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ALICIA Kozakiewicz was lured by a sexual predator, raped, tortured and held against her will

She was just 13 years old.

How she survived that experience is incomprehensible, but her rescue is also equally unbelievable.

While it may sound like the stuff of Hollywood films, the reality of what happened to her in January 2002 was a nightmare she can never forget.

“I was groomed, lured from my home, and abducted by an internet predator who held me captive in his basement dungeon where I was raped, beaten, and tortured,” she told news.com.au from her home in Chicago.

“I was only rescued after a tipster, with whom the predator had shared streaming video of my torture, contacted the FBI.”

It’s hard to imagine what she endured or what was going through her mind, other than the thought that she had to survive.

She only knows it’s a miracle she is here today.

Her dramatic rescue was broadcast around the world and her attacker was arrested and later sentenced to 19 years and seven months for his heinous crime.

The then teenager, pictured with her family, was dramatically rescued in a major FBI operation.

The now 26-year-old whose story is as shocking as it is inspiring, said she did not want to let the predator win, and more importantly, felt she needed to speak out to prevent other kids and teens falling victim to the same predatory trap.

Less than a year after her rescue, she embarked on a mission to warn parents, teenagers and anyone online about how easy it can be to become the victim of a sexual predator.

She does warn though, that it can happen to anyone because predators target vulnerability not background, circumstances, or education.

“People often think that a tragedy cannot happen to them — until it does — or until it happens to someone with whom they have a close relationship,” she said.

The poster calling for information on the whereabouts of Alicia Kozakiewicz.

In 2004, Ms Kozakiewicz started The Alicia Project which provides internet and child safety education, emotional support for victims of abduction and sexual exploitation, and for their families, as well as raises awareness for those who are missing.Instead of becoming a victim, she emerged a survivor determined to ensure her message was spread.

“The issues of internet safety, abduction, and child sexual exploitation span the globe and cannot be ignored,” she said.

“Sharing my testimony gives a face and voice to victims who have been silenced and raises an awareness for those who are missing.”

But telling her story even years later is still a painful experience.

“For anyone to share their story of sexual assault, abuse, and exploitation is never easy,” she said.

Alicia pictured at age 13

“Unfortunately, survivors, rather the perpetrators, are often blamed for the abuse and the victims are then silenced. As a child, when I first began to tell my story, I feared that my words would be discounted. Then, I would ask myself: “How can I make an impact? How could I save lives?”

She said it was only once she began to tell her story that she realised how many people had fallen victim, been abused, or approached by online predators.

But Ms Kozakiewicz also admitted that children she has spoken to will often tell her they are going to change their now-recognised dangerous online behaviours — and that gives her the strength to keep telling her story. “I know I am making a difference,” she says.

Her biggest fear is what happened to her will keep happening to others with the growth of accessible technology.

“Issues of grooming and sexual exploitation are worsening,” she said.

“Today’s predators have easier access to children and teens than they have ever had before. Full web access is no longer restricted to the desktop computer, but now travels in the palm of the hand.

“Children are drawn to new, exciting mobile apps that are rapidly developed, many with the purpose of evading parental monitoring and leaving no trace.”

She said it was this easy access which meant children and teens were more vulnerable than ever in a global society.

Alicia Kozakiewicz, and her mother Mary, stand with Oprah Winfrey after Alicia was on her show.

While recognizing the internet was a “marvelous and necessary tool” she also warned it poses great danger.

Ms Kozakiewicz, who is working towards attaining an MA in Forensic Psychology at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, said children and teens need to be educated about the possible dangers of the internet, as well as be given the tools that will enable them to better protect themselves.

One of her goals is to use to her degree to work alongside law enforcement and authorities in the rescue, and recovery, of children.

She said it was vital parents put monitoring software on any computer and mobile device their children use and focus on “being a protective factor in their child’s life versus being primarily a friend.”

But while her story is horrific, she said it was also one of hope and most of all survival.

“Survivors can learn to trust again,” she said. “I now know that rape is about power and control, while love never is. I am happy to share that I am in a long-term, loving relationship with a man who fully supports my mission.

The Chicago resident works tirelessly to prevent child abuse.

“I also look forward to growing as a media personality in order to better highlight missing person and human trafficking cases, and to share inspirational stories of survival and hope.

“As internet crimes against children and child sexual exploitation is a global issue and I would love to share my presentations to children, families, and law enforcement in venues beyond North America.”

For anyone who has ever been abused she has this simple message.

“You are a survivor and you are strong, but please do not hesitate to reach out for, and accept help,” she said.

“You may experience nightmares, flashbacks, and other symptoms of PTSD. Seeking professional counselling and sharing your story with a trained professional, in a safe place, can aid in your healing.

“Know that it is okay to hurt — you do not have to be strong all of the time. The healing process differs for each survivor and only you can set your pace.”

She added those who had been abused do not owe anyone the details of what has happened but choosing to come forward, and reporting it “cannot only cages monsters, it can save lives.”

“Always remember to never let the trauma define you. You are so much more than your experience,” she said.

“Stand strong and always believe in yourself.”

Alicia Kozakiewicz speaks regularly on the prevention and detection of online child abuse.

Read full article: http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/alicia-kozakiewicz-on-being-lured-kidnapped-and-raped-at-13/

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Kidnapping Survivor Speaks About Online Safety

12/13/2014

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Alicia Kozakiewicz and Sally Hernandez, KXAN

AUSTIN (KXAN) — You hear news reports, cases of predators taking advantage of kids and teens online, but it is rare to hear directly from a survivor of that abuse. Alicia Kozakiewicz told a very personal story that every parent needs to hear. At age 13, she was kidnapped by a predator whom she met online. She was held captive, raped and abused for four days before the FBI rescued her. She survived her ordeal and has since been raising awareness and training kids and parents about online safety.
By: Daniel Gravois

Alicia Kozakiewicz is interviewed by Sally Hernandez, KXAN

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Group Pushes for Middle School Cyber Safety

12/12/2014

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Alicia Kozakiewicz is on a mission to make sure what happened to her never happens to another kid again.

"I was a very shy, quiet child, very typical average 13 year old girl, and I was vulnerable because of that,” Kozakiewicz said. “I felt safe online. I was in my own home. Who could ever hurt me here?"

But on New Years Day, 2002, the 13-year-old left her house to meet somebody she had been talking to online for eight months. A man abducted her from her Pittsburgh home and took her to Virginia.

She was sexually assaulted for four days before being rescued.

"You have to remember this happened in 2002, when the internet was just really entering the home and people didn't really understand it," she said.

Less than a year after her abuse, Kozakiewicz started The Alicia Project to arm students with the knowledge they need to protect themselves from online predators. Now, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children wants to bring that program to Austin middle schools.

"Kids are everywhere. They have apps that we don't even know how to use, but learn how to use them,” the center’s Andrea Sparks said. “It's very important that you monitor what's going on because your number one job is to be their parent not their best friend."

The group hopes to raise $10,000 to teach kids how to protect themselves online.

If the group can meet their $10,000 dollar fundraising goal by the end of the year, Austin based charity Lonestar Legacy says they'll pitch in another $10,000 to the cause.

"My parents were completely unaware of what was going on, if they could have protected me, they would. I had to protect myself, and I didn't. If I had the tools and the knowledge, I may have," Kozakiewicz said.

By: Mitch Goulding, TWC News

See more at: http://austin.twcnews.com/content/news/317662/group-pushes-for-middle-school-cyber-safety-course/

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Austin Trail of Lights Honors Military and Law Enforcement

12/10/2014

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Alicia Kozakiewicz is interviewed by Shannon Murray, KVUE

AUSTIN -- It was a special celebration at the Trail of Lights Tuesday for Heroes Night.
Under a canopy of colors men and women proudly carried the red, white and blue flag through the trail.

An Austin tradition for 50 years, the Trail of Lights is a time to come together and celebrate the holidays. On Tuesday, it was also about celebrating those who fought for our freedom.

"Well, it humbles one to have someone come up and say 'thank you for your service,'" Sheffloe said.

"The level of appreciation and just that sincere gratitude that they're showing us it's just, it's humbling, it's humbling," AC Robledo said.

Walking with their families, many donned their badges and lead the crowd through the trail.

"It gives us something to look forward to and also admire that someone is recognizing us," Green said. "I'm really glad I came."

Mayor Lee Leffingwell and Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst attended the ceremony to give thanks to the heroes.

The trail also played host to another hero. Alicia Kozakiewicz spoke for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

She shared her story of being lured online, kidnapped and raped at 13 years old. The FBI rescued her, and Tuesday, she thanked the officers who played a part in her rescue. She now travels the country speaking to parents and children about Internet safety.

"This happened on Jan. 1, 2002, and when it happened, Christmas lights were still up, and the trees were still in people's windows, so the holidays are quite a reminder," she said. "But it's so great to be here, really, to fight against and to work to make sure that this doesn't happen to other children, and that's where this has become therapeutic to me."

She recommends parents put monitoring software on their child's computer and phone. For more information visit www.aliciaproject.org

Read the full article:
http://www.kvue.com/story/news/local/2014/12/09/trail-of-lights-honors-military-law-enforcement/20178755/

Shannon Murray, KVUE

Alicia Kozakiewicz and Shannon Murray, KVUE

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Featured Expert, Alicia Kozakiewicz, Speaks at "Shadow Town II: The Johns"

11/28/2014

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On Friday, November 21, 2014, Featured Expert, Alicia Kozakiewicz, shared her story and held a Q&A session about Human Trafficking after the show.

Her Story Theater's SHADOW TOWN II: THE JOHNS, written and directed by Mary Bonnett, is a 90 minute original stage play, based on Mary's dozens of interviews of people involved with sex trafficking in Chicago. Meet Baby Girl and The Family.

SHADOW TOWN II: THE JOHNS picks up where SHADOW TOWN left off...with the 'Demand' side of sex trafficking, the men who buy young girls for sex. The play explores how it impacts the men's lives, their families , the girls they use and the community.

SHADOW TOWN II: THE JOHNS is imaginative, amusing, powerful and must-see production. It is woven with song,a little dance, nontraditional in style yet moving in presentation and important piece of theater.

Learn more about Her Story Theater: www.herstorytheater.org

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"I was groomed online, abducted, chained, raped, and tortured" via Daily Mirror

11/24/2014

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At 13, Alicia Kozakiewicz believed she was chatting online to a teenage boy. Now aged 26, her story of being groomed, snatched, raped and rescued helps keep other children safe.

Alicia Kozakiewicz has devoted her life to raising awareness of missing and exploited persons.

Sitting in a car as it hurtled through the freezing night, my heart pounded in my chest.

Breaking the silence, the stranger beside me barked. ‘Be good, be quiet!’ He told me the boot had been cleaned out for me, so I was terrified. I faced the real possibility I was going to die.

Up until this point I’d been a typically shy, quiet 13-year-old girl. It wasn’t until I started using online chatrooms with friends that I found a confidence I didn’t have before.

Tapping away in my living room, my mum nearby, I felt incredibly safe. I had no reason to believe it would lead to the most traumatic experience of my life.

Chatting to friends and then friends of friends is how I met ‘him’. Now I refuse to use his name, he is a monster to me. Back then, of course, as far as I was concerned he was just this boy into the Spice Girls and Titanic, like me.

I didn’t know I was being groomed. He always listened and said what I wanted to hear: ‘Your teacher is stupid,’ or, ‘Why tidy your room when it’s your mum’s job?’

Soon I was spending hours online oblivious to the danger ahead.

Being taken

It was New Year’s Day 2002 that I’d secretly arranged to meet him.

After dinner, I said I had a stomach ache and left the table. At 7pm, I nipped outside in the cold without a coat. I didn’t plan to be out for long.

Walking up my street, a voice kicked in. My intuition told me to go home, but it was eight months too late.

As I turned, I heard my name being called. There was no boy there, it was a man. The next part is a blank, but suddenly I was trapped in a car and I couldn’t get out.

After a terrifying five-hour journey, we arrived at his house. He’d taken me from my safe, warm home in Pittsburgh to an unfamiliar place in Virginia.

Pulling me down a flight of steps, we ended up in a basement full of strange devices, including a cage. ‘It’s OK to cry,’ he said coldly, ‘this is going to be hard for you.’

Again, the details are a blur, but I remember him removing my clothes, locking a dog collar around my neck and dragging me upstairs. Up in his bedroom I was chained to the floor.

I felt the pain of him ripping my hair – I had braids from a family holiday in the Caribbean, so he pulled them at the roots.

Then he broke my nose and raped me. I’ve blanked out much of the experience. I know I could regain memories through hypnosis, but why would I want to?

In the four days that followed I was chained up, raped, beaten and tortured. I did whatever I had to do to survive, no matter how humiliating, painful, or disgusting. I did it because I wanted to live and hoped people might be looking for me. Hope was all I had.

I fantasised about mum and dad bursting through the door, but on the fourth day, before he left for work, he said, ‘I’m beginning to like you too much, tonight we’re going for a ride.’ I fully expected him to kill me on his return.

Lying on the floor naked, weeping, I felt pure despair. How could I escape? I was just 13 years old and 6 stone, he was over 21 stone.

People ask why I didn’t scream when he left. The truth is, I wasn’t sure he’d even gone. I pictured him waiting behind the door and panicked that any noise I made would prompt him to kill me on the spot.

Finally saved

Suddenly there was crashing and banging, and men shouting, ‘We have guns!’ The chain allowed me to move around the room, so thinking he’d sent them to kill me, I hid under the bed. I was ordered out naked to the barrel of a gun, I thought I was going to die, then I saw FBI – the three most beautiful letters – on his jacket.

I was saved. The relief, after being imprisoned for four days, was unbelievable.

My abductor had tripped up after livestreaming a video of him abusing me to a group online. When one of the guys realised he could be implicated as an accomplice, he called the police. Using the IP address they tracked me down.

At the hospital and police station I was so traumatised I could hardly speak, but I do remember seeing a dolls’ house after a forensic examination.

It made me realise that what I went through happens to kids younger than me, even babies. How can you begin to comprehend that?

That evening I was taken to a wonderful foster family. I sat up all night waiting for my parents. I didn’t know they couldn’t get a regular flight – media attention my rescue had generated forced them to take an FBI plane the next day instead.

I thought I’d done something wrong, that they didn’t love me anymore. Being finally reunited with them was incredible. They ran towards me and my dad gave me this hug that was so special, there are no words.

The aftermath

Back in Pittsburgh things should’ve been amazing, but as mine was one of the first big cases of internet luring, society didn’t understand how it happened. People blamed my parents – even distant relatives – and we were treated horribly.

Before the trial (he was eventually sentenced to 19 years and seven months in prison) the FBI needed me to identify myself in the videos. I had to watch myself being tortured. Being abused is indescribable, but to see it through the eyes of your abuser is another thing entirely.

That’s why I now fight so hard against child exploitation, I know how it feels to have people watch your suffering and enjoy it.

Despite the cuts and bruises, physically I was intact. Psychologically I was broken – nightmares and flashbacks came daily.

My experience left a hole, but I decided to fill it by raising awareness. I started to tell my story in schools. At first it was hard, but seeing the kids’ response was worth it.

I could give my pain purpose. The Alicia Project was born. Rebuilding trust is still hard, in others and in myself. But now I’ve fallen in love and my partner is so supportive of my mission.

I’ll never forgive the monster who did this, so instead I focus on getting Alicia’s Law (which helps fund internet-crime-against-children task forces, like the one that rescued me) passed in every US state. I was given a second chance at life, so now I choose to use that to save others.

How to keep your kids safe online- Alicia's advice:

● Recognise that any child can become the victim of an internet predator. Predators don’t discriminate on gender, ethnicity, education, socioeconomic status, income, or religion.

● Teach them to never share private or identifying information with a person online who isn’t known or trusted in real life. A predator can use it to groom and/or locate them.

● Strengthen privacy settings on all social networking sites and check they remain unchanged after updates.

● Disable geotagging on all mobile devices. It can automatically pinpoint and disclose their location. This option can usually be found under ‘Settings’.

● Monitor their activity. This includes desktops, laptops, tablet computers, and mobiles. Don’t feel that you’re ‘spying’. You’re the parent. This is your responsibility.

● Know their passwords on all devices. Check them regularly.

● Educate yourself on the apps they are using. Ask for an explanation and a demonstration.

● Maintain loving, open, and respectful lines of communication while setting enforceable rules for online safety. Assure them that they can always come to you for help in an uncomfortable or potentially dangerous situation.

By: Kate Graham, Daily Mirror

Read entire article: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/real-life-stories/i-groomed-online-abducted-chained

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