Shurtleff criticizes Internet safety report

Those who police the Internet are criticizing a report that suggests the threats to children online are overblown.

The 250-page report by the Internet Safety Technical Task Force released last week claims that while online sex predators remain a concern — it is not typically an anonymous adult preying upon a child, but rather mostly sexual solicitations between minors. The number of minors propositioned online has also decreased in recent years.

"Minors are not equally at risk online," the report said. "Those who are most at risk often engage in risky behaviors and have difficulties in other parts of their lives."

The Internet increases the accessibility of pornography, but it does not always increase exposure, the report also said.

"Unwanted exposure to pornography does occur online, but those most likely to be exposed are those seeking it out, such as older male minors," it said.

In an executive summary, the report concedes that much of the data compiled predates the rise of social networking sites and the issue is understudied. The report was part of a multi-state working group of attorneys general and Internet companies like MySpace, Facebook, Yahoo!, Google and AOL. It came out of pressure from attorneys general on the sites to take measures to protect children.

"Our Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force has seen a nearly 40 percent increase in the number of arrests even though we do not have any more investigators," Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff said in a statement Wednesday, reacting to the report. "We are finding more Internet predators and we cannot stress enough that parents need to find out what their children are doing online."

Utah has led the nation in arrests involving Internet sex predators. The Utah Attorney General's Office has undertaken a number of initiatives to protect children, including a child protection registry that blocks adult-oriented e-mails, and the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force — whose officers pose as children online to be solicited by adults.

Attorneys general from across the nation have criticized the task force report. Shurtleff said the report contained encouraging information, but failed to provide any remedies to increase reporting and stop sexual predators.

"Despite budget difficulties the Utah Attorney General's Office will continue developing strategies to combat the twin evils of child pornography and child predators," he said in his statement. "We are grateful that social networking sites and Internet service providers are joining us in the discussion but we will push them to do more to keep children safe."

E-mail: bwinslow@desnews.com