header image

[Sign Up Now] to Receive Our FREE Daily SCVTV-SCVNews Digest by E-Mail

Inside
Weather


 
Calendar
Today in
S.C.V. History
May 2
1884 - McCoy & Everette Pyle discover important Tataviam Indian artifacts in Bowers Cave (Val Verde) [story]
Bowers Cave artifacts


[KHTS] – Teens, sexting, cyberbullying and social media were the topics discussed with parents and Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station officials at Santa Clarita City Hall on Wednesday.

And the numbers are staggering.

jdlasd ParentsThe average teen sends about 50 text messages per day. More than 1 in 5 high school students take part in sexting, or sending sexually explicit messages — and the number rises to 1 in 3 by the time those same students are legally adults atcollege a few years later.

 

But the consequences of a bad choice can last much longer.

“Once you hit send, there are no take-backs,” said Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station Deputy Josh Dubin, discussing the reality of social media and the potentially harmful choices children can make.

As Dubin told parents about the impact social media has on their children’s lives, mothers whispered to each other, fathers quietly talked among themselves and others were speechless.

Parents asked questions about spoofing, hidden phone activity and passwords at Wednesday’s meeting in City Hall’s Council Chambers, which was coordinated by the city of Santa Clarita and the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station.

Dubin, who works in the station’s Crime Prevention Unit and handles a lot of the station’s community outreach, spoke to about 100 parents on what they should look out for in regard to sexting, social media use, cyber bullying and other online activity.

The most important premise of his presentation, which included a talk from Detective Robert Uribe of the Sheriff’s Department’s Special Victims Bureau, contained two main principles, he said.

“Principle No. 1, you are the parents, you pay the bill, you own the phone, tablet or computer, and therefore you have the right and the responsibility to be a responsible watchdog,” Dubin said. “Principle No. 2:  Get out of denial and learn to check up on your kids.”

A growing number of the cases in the Special Victims Bureau involving children sending inappropriate messages via electronic devices, Uribe said.

“About 15 percent to 20 percent of our cases now include sexting of one type or another,” Uribe said. And even when a teen thinks something has been deleted, law enforcement officials can usually find the information.

 

“We have a capability of retrieving them even after they’ve been deleted,” Uribe said, mentioning the Sheriff’s Department ownership of a Cellebrite machine. The machines, which can unlock electronic passwords and recover deleted information, are only sold to law enforcement agencies due to legal concerns and cost approximately $10,000, according to a Cellebrite representative.

Another legitimate concern is the misleading identities one can create online, Uribe said.

“You don’t know who you’re sharing the information with or who you’re sending the picture to,” he said, mentioning a recent case where a suspect posed as a teenage girl to solicit dozens of nude pictures from teenage boys.

Spoofing, which one mother asked about, is the practice of using a website to generate a call or a text from a fake number and is considered a form of identity theft, Uribe said.

One father who asked how he should get his child’s passwords if the child doesn’t want to relinquish them, and Dubin suggested the parent offer an ultimatum: either the child gives up the password or the device, which was met by applause from the crowd.

After the presentation, Dubin and Janine Prado, a community services administrator for the city of Santa Clarita, opened the floor for parents, who asked questions for more than an hour.

Near the end, one parent was encouraged and hopeful more parents would make the effort to get involved and find out the information. With children, it’s a little bit easier to keep an eye on them if there’s consistency.

“If we’re all doing it,” she said, “then there’s more of an expectation.”

 

Comment On This Story
COMMENT POLICY: We welcome comments from individuals and businesses. All comments are moderated. Comments are subject to rejection if they are vulgar, combative, or in poor taste.
REAL NAMES ONLY: All posters must use their real individual or business name. This applies equally to Twitter account holders who use a nickname.

No Comments

    Leave a Comment


    SCV NewsBreak
    LOCAL NEWS HEADLINES
    Wednesday, May 1, 2024
    May 4: Ekklesia Meta Church to Launch Community Closet in Santa Clarita
    Ekklesia Meta Church, a non-denominational institution founded by Pastor Carthel Towns, is proud to announce the grand opening of its Community Closet in Santa Clarita. 
    Tuesday, Apr 30, 2024
    Schiavo Introduces Click to Cancel Bill to Protect Consumers
    California State Assemblywoman Pilar Schiavo has announced the introduction of AB 2863, a bill aimed at protecting consumers and putting more money back in people’s pockets by simplifying the cancellation process for subscription services.
    Tuesday, Apr 30, 2024
    May-October Fireside Nights at Vasquez Rocks
    The Vasquez Rocks Natural Area invites you to an evening around the campfire at the Vasquez Rocks Interpretive Center. Live music, sing-alongs, animal meet and greets, storytelling, crafts, activities, show + tell tables, s'mores and more.
    Keep Up With Our Facebook

    Latest Additions to SCVNews.com
    1884 - McCoy & Everette Pyle discover important Tataviam Indian artifacts in Bowers Cave (Val Verde) [story]
    Bowers Cave artifacts
    The Los Angeles County, Department of Public Social Services, and the Department of Public Health’s  CalFresh Healthy Living Program have launched the annual CalFresh Awareness Month campaign to remove barriers associated with applying for food assistance.
    May is CalFresh Awareness Month
    Ekklesia Meta Church, a non-denominational institution founded by Pastor Carthel Towns, is proud to announce the grand opening of its Community Closet in Santa Clarita. 
    May 4: Ekklesia Meta Church to Launch Community Closet in Santa Clarita
    College of the Canyons captured a 13th straight Western State Conference Championship on Monday, April 29 at Knollwood Country Club, after a 36-hole tourney that saw all six players finish in the top-10 of the field's individual standings and send the Cougars to another 3C2A Southern California Regional Championship event.
    Canyons Wins 13th Consecutive WSC Title
    The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health cautions residents who are planning to visit the below Los Angeles County beaches to avoid swimming, surfing, and playing in ocean waters:
    Ocean Water Warning For May 1
    The cheers will be heard blocks away later this month as more than 11,000 graduating students cross the stage in front of California State University, Northridge’s iconic University Library as CSUN celebrates its 2024 commencement.
    CSUN to Celebrate the Class of 2024 with Series of Ceremonies
    Thanks to the community's support, E.C. Loomis Insurance Associates has officially awarded a $10,000 donation to The American Cancer Society, a nonprofit organization dedicated to saving lives, celebrating lives, and leading the fight for a world without cancer.
    The American Cancer Society Awarded $10,000
    Imagine a day where barriers dissolve and possibilities unfold, a day dedicated to celebrating diversity and fostering inclusivity.
    Cameron Smyth:  Free To Be Me at West Creek Park
    The final Business Property Statement deadline is approaching fast, with payments need by May 7 to avoid penalties. 
    May 7: Assessor Reminds Businesses as Last BPP Deadline Nears
    The Santa Clarita Valley Economic Development Corporation teamed up with the city of Santa Clarita, College of the Canyons, L.A. County's America's Job Center of California and the Chamber of Commerce to host the fourth Santa Clarita Valley job fair.
    Fourth SCV Job Fair Draws Biggest Crowd Yet
    The Santa Clarita Public Library is excited to announce its upcoming celebration in honor of Día de los Niños/Día de los Libros on Saturday, May 4, from 10 a.m. to noon at the Canyon Country Jo Anne Darcy Library Branch.
    May 4: Celebrate Día de los Niños/Día de los Libros at the Santa Clarita Public Library
    1927: First major competition, second annual rodeo, at new Baker Ranch arena (later Saugus Speedway). Overflow crowd more than fills 18,000-seat arena. Entire SCV population was ~3,000 [story]
    1927 Baker Ranch Rodeo
    California State Assemblywoman Pilar Schiavo has announced the introduction of AB 2863, a bill aimed at protecting consumers and putting more money back in people’s pockets by simplifying the cancellation process for subscription services.
    Schiavo Introduces Click to Cancel Bill to Protect Consumers
    City of Santa Clarita residents can get low-cost spay/neuter services for your pets every Monday at the mobile clinic located in the parking lot of the Newhall Community Center.
    Low Cost Spay/Neuter Mobile Clinic at Newhall Community Center
    The Vasquez Rocks Natural Area invites you to an evening around the campfire at the Vasquez Rocks Interpretive Center. Live music, sing-alongs, animal meet and greets, storytelling, crafts, activities, show + tell tables, s'mores and more.
    May-October Fireside Nights at Vasquez Rocks
    It's time to kick up your heels and head on over to Gilchrist Farm for the Hoedown for Hope event Saturday, June 22, 6-10 p.m.
    June 22: Howdown for Hope at Gilchrist Farm
    A relic of Saint Jude has left Italy for the first time on an extended tour of the United States. Treasures of the Church, an evangelization ministry of the Catholic church, will present the Tour of the Relic of St. Jude the Apostle. The relic of St. Jude will be hosted Monday, May 6 at Saint Kateri Tekakwitha Catholic Church.
    May 6: Catholic Relic of St. Jude Makes Stop at St. Kateri
    College of the Canyons film instructor Bavand Karim will attend Marche du Film, one of the largest film markets in the world, at the Cannes Film Festival in May to promote the launch of a new film slate by CINE & Lost Winds Entertainment.
    COC Film Instructor to Attend Marche du Film at Cannes Film Festival
    Santa Clarita’s opera company, Mission Opera has been selected to present ‘The Merry Widow: Madonna’ as part of the OPERA America National Conference and World Opera Forum, being held in Los Angeles in early June.
    June 6-8: Mission Opera Performances of ‘The Merry Widow: Madonna’
    Given the ongoing uncertain situation in the Red Sea and surrounding area and following extensive consultation with global security experts and government authorities, Princess Cruises, which is headquartered in Valencia, is revising the itineraries for its two 2025 World Cruises, which will no longer visit the Middle East or Asia, and now instead, will offer new port stops in Africa and Europe.
    Princess Cruises Reroutes Global Voyages Due to Middle East Uncertainty
    California State Assemblywoman Pilar Schiavo will host an upcoming Youth and Family Festival, a day packed with fun, learning and community engagement. This event is free to all and will bel held on Saturday, May 4 from noon to 4 p.m. at the College of the Canyons
    May 4: Schiavo to Host Youth, Family Festival
    1973 - Watergate figure H.R. "Bob" Haldeman, a former CalArts board member, resigns from Nixon White House [link]
    Haldeman
    The 97th annual commencement ceremony of The Master’s University will be taking place on campus Friday, May 3, at 7 p.m.
    May 3: Livestream 2024 TMU Commencement
    Three seats on the Santa Clarita Community College District Board of Trustees, which oversees College of the Canyons, will be up for election in November 2024.
    COC Hosting Info Sessions for Prospective Board Candidates
    SCVNews.com