Walla Walla detective speaks on internet safety and cyberbullying

WAITSBURG—On March 14, Detective Tim Hollingsworth, the digital forensic examiner for the area, spent the afternoon speaking with Preston Hall and Waitsburg High School students about Cyberbullying and Social Media Concerns. That evening, he addressed the community on the same topic.

Because digital forensic training is so expensive, Hollingsworth said he provides services throughout the region. Hollingsworth is also the ICAC (Internet Crimes Against Children) investigator, the tactical commander for the Walla Walla SWAT team and the law enforcement peer support counselor.

Hollingsworth provided information on the different types and avenues of cyber bullying and abuse, peppering his presentation with real-life local examples.

Hollingsworth said that children can be exposed to Internet safety issues through cell phones, computers, tablets and Internet-connected gaming devices. Hollingsworth said games like Minecraft and Roblox are commonly used by predators to befriend children before requesting they move to another site.

He said that nearly all devices, apps and games have parental controls that can limit contact and even disable chat features.

Hollingsworth said that when kids come across inappropriate content or situations, parental response is critical.

“They need to be able to come to you guys, admit it, and move past it. Kids think if they tell they might get in more trouble and they are embarrassed. Realize that it’s not their fault. These systems are designed to target people that use the Internet and they’re not able to discriminate between children and adults,” he said.

Hollingsworth gave a few parental tips when kids come across inappropriate content:

Don’t frighten the child by getting angry or upset

Listen and try to get the whole story

Make sure they know it’s not their fault

Be ready to answer questions as best you can

He said most sites have self-reporting features and it is important to teach children how to report abuse or inappropriate content themselves.

Hollingsworth talked to students about the consequences of posting inappropriate or illegal behavior such as underage drinking, sexting, offensive language, and hate speech on social media.

He shared the story of a Walla Walla student who posted pictures of himself drinking at a party which resulted in him losing a scholarship and being kicked off the football team.

Hollingsworth said that sexting is something he deals with in Walla Walla. He shared a recent case at Pioneer Middle between two 14-year-olds where private pictures were shared publicly and the two boys involved ended up being charged with cyberbullying.

“They could have been charged with distributing child pornography and possession of child pornography, which is a felony, and would force them to register as a sex offender for the rest of their lives, just for sending a picture on. There are serious consequences,” he said.

Hollingsworth said he deals with a surprising number of sexual solicitation cases.

“It blows my mind how easy it is for these people to convince the kids (to send pictures). It takes nothing,” he said.

He said solicitation typically starts on social networking sites or through games like Minecraft or Roblocks. Predators will “friend” the child and then move them to an unmonitored site such as Snapchat or Whisper. Hollingsworth said the youngest victim he has dealt with has been an 8-year-old, but the most common age of victims is between 13- and 15-years-old.

Hollingsworth said professional groomers will exploit a child’s curiosity, lower inhibitions by introducing explicit images, will try to split a child from their friends and family, and will give gifts, especially cell phones, to prevent parental monitoring.

Hollingsworth said parents can watch for the following signs:

Receiving unusual gifts

Unknown numbers on phone

Rejecting family and friends and/or skipping events

Getting very upset when they can’t access the Internet

Hollingsworth said the difference between bullying and cyberbullying is that one is online “and spreads really, really fast.” Cyberbullying spreads faster than traditional bullying, reaches a wider audience and follows the child home, he said.

He said about 25 percent of middle school kids report having been cyberbullied and sixteen percent admit to having bullied someone online.

Signs that a child may be the victim of cyberbullying include the child not using their phone or going online, seeming nervous or upset after reading texts or emails, being uneasy or afraid to go to school, or withdrawal from friends and family.

If a child has been bullied parents should save the evidence, block bullies, help the child set up a new account, talk to the school, and report to the website or authorities if the bullying has reached that level.

Hollingsworth stressed the importance of teaching children not to be bystanders, but to be active witnesses if they are aware of bullying.

Hollingsworth directed parents to several online resources including NetSmartz.org, NSTeens.org, Kids.org, KidSmartz.org. These sites provide helpful information for both parents and kids and include videos for parents to watch and share with their children.

He said the number one, most important thing a parent can do, is to keep lines of communication open.