BELL COUNTY, Ky. (WYMT) – The Bell County Sheriff’s Office is warning parents to closely monitor their children’s online activity after investigators say several cases involving juvenile exploitation and solicitation were reported in just the past week.
Sheriff Mitch Williams issued a public safety announcement on January 11 after detectives began investigating multiple incidents involving children being contacted through social media platforms and online gaming apps.
Hunter Luttrell, the detective working the cases, said children in the community have been contacted through games and apps that many families may consider harmless.
“We’ve been working multiple cases in the last week,” Luttrell said. “It’s been brought to our attention that some of the kids within our community have been contacted through different games and apps and have been exploited and solicited through those apps.”
Investigators say the cases involve platforms such as Snapchat, Discord, and Roblox. All of the victims identified so far are under the age of 14.
Sheriff Williams said what Bell County is seeing mirrors a larger trend law enforcement agencies are dealing with across the state.
“I had the opportunity to talk to some of the state police detectives and since we had gotten these, they’re seeing the same increase and vulnerabilities to the juveniles,” Williams said.
According to investigators, conversations often begin as normal or friendly interactions before escalating quickly. In many cases, offenders move children from public chats into private messages or group conversations across multiple apps.
Luttrell said parents should stay actively involved in their children’s online lives and not assume certain apps are automatically safe.
“You can monitor what your kids are doing, that’s a big one, be aware of what they have,” Luttrell said. “Ask questions. That’s a big one. Talk to your kids. See what they’re doing. See what they have.”
The sheriff’s office is encouraging parents to watch for warning signs, including sudden secrecy around devices, emotional changes, attempts to hide screens, unfamiliar usernames, or conversations moving to private chats or servers.
If a parent discovers inappropriate messages, requests, or threats, investigators stress the importance of preserving evidence and reporting it immediately.
“Don’t let them delete it,” Luttrell said. “Preserve the evidence. Let us know. The more information we have, the better.”
The Bell County Sheriff’s Office says parents with concerns should contact local law enforcement or dispatch right away. Early reporting, officials say, can help protect not only one child, but others in the community as well.
Anyone with information or concerns can contact the Bell County Sheriff’s Office at 606-337-3102 or Bell County Dispatch at 606-337-3174.
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