LYNCHBURG, Va. (WDBJ) – Just days after an out of state abduction made headlines with an arrest locally, state leaders and law enforcement are joining forces to protect children online.
As we’ve reported, a Blacksburg man now faces 55 new charges in Montgomery County after he was accused of kidnapping a Milwaukee teenager and holding her captive for nearly four years; an ordeal that started after the two met online.
Lawmakers, educators, and police gathered at Bedford Hills Elementary School in Lynchburg on Friday to stress the importance of paying attention to what your child is doing online as part of a new state awareness day.
“There’s no one would invite the world into their child’s bedroom. But when you give your child access to the Internet, you give them access to the world,” said Congressman John McGuire (R-5).
That seemingly innocent access is bringing very real dangers into Virginia homes. State and local officials gathered at Bedford Hills Elementary School to warn that the virtual doorway to our children has no locks.
“Be careful where your students, your children are on the internet, cell phones, whatever the case may be, because there’s no firewalls to these internet predators. They know how to get around these things,” added Delegate Wendell Walker (R-Lynchburg).
Del. Walker spent years working on this initiative, culminating in a first-of-its-kind state resolution designating August 1 as Internet Safety and Online Predator Awareness Day. The resolution aims to push parents out of complacency because statistically, law enforcement said exposure begins much earlier than most families realize.
“The average age for a child to be exposed to sexually explicit material on the internet is between 8 and 10 years old. Most parents, that’s not even on their radar. This is a problem that is going to affect every family and every child because if they have access to the internet, they’re going to be exposed and they’re at risk of being contacted and exploited,” said Southern Virginia ICAC Task Force Commander, Captain Steve Anders.
Capt. Anders commands the Southern Virginia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, which received just under 24,000 cyber tips in 2025 alone. He sees the threat every day; predators masked as friends, something educators warn students about.
“If you don’t know that person in real life, you do not talk to them online. Because there are so many people out there pretending to be little children… pretending to be your friend, and really they have evil intentions out there,” said Bedford Hills Elementary School Principal, Sherri Steele.
Virginia State Senator Mark Peake (R.-District 8) said being proactive is the only way to break the human trafficking networks operating in the shadows.
“Never forget that someone’s out there trying to take your child, might be even from another country online, to get them into the sexual predator trading network. And it’s just, we’ve got to be paying attention at all times,” closed Sen. Peake.
Officials said this resolution isn’t a one-time campaign, but an annual reminder for families to secure their digital borders; a united front between Richmond, schools, and law enforcement to keep Virginia’s children safe.
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