In 2005, the U.S. Senate designated June as National Internet Safety Month to raise awareness of internet dangers and highlight the need for education about online safety.
For prosecutors in particular, June is a time to highlight youth safety, especially for kids with social media access, as online risks have increased dramatically over the years.
In 2025, there was a staggering increase nationally in the number of reports the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s (NCMEC) CyberTipline received related to online solicitation of children for sexual acts. Solicitation is when a person communicates with someone believed to be a child on the internet with the intent to commit a sexual offense or abduction. Last year in Porter County, our office filed 16 child solicitation cases.
This type of crime may include sextortion, in which a child is being groomed to take sexually explicit images or ultimately meet face-to-face with someone for sexual purposes, or to engage in a sexual conversation online or, in some instances, to sell or trade the child’s sexual images. This type of victimization takes place across every type of platform, including online gaming, social media, and messaging apps, according to NCMEC.
Children and teens are accessing technology earlier than ever, increasing the need for proactive education and monitoring. The goal of Internet Safety Month is to promote protective measures and encourage early digital safety conversations at home.
There are several safety tips parents and guardians can follow with their children and grandchildren. Building trust, having open communication, and setting boundaries are crucial.
I cannot emphasize this enough but parents should:
• Set clear rules around screen time, social media use, and online gaming.
• Only use apps and platforms with verified parental controls and privacy settings should be used.
• Supervise internet access and teach basic online safety rules such as not clicking on unknown links, not accepting friend requests from strangers, and not sharing locations.
• Keep devices in shared spaces and teach kids about “safe strangers” online.
• Start conversations early about digital footprints, encouraging them to be cautious.
• Feel free to review chats your child is having online.
Encourage community members to immediately report suspicious online behavior to law enforcement immediately, including cyberbullying, solicitation attempts, or impersonation.
Encourage your kids at a young age to report to an adult right away when they feel uncomfortable in a situation online. Point out red flags to look for, like asking for pictures or money, and the precautions to take when situations turn dangerous.
Gary Germann is the Porter County Prosecutor.
