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March 1, 2015San Juan, PR, United StatesChild Exploitation

ICE St. Thomas reaches out to more than 1,000 students in the US Virgin Islands

Outreach activity part of Project iGuardian
HSI reaches out to more than 1000 students in USVI HSI reaches out to more than 1000 students in USVI HSI reaches out to more than 1000 students in USVI HSI reaches out to more than 1000 students in USVI

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — More than 1,000 students from the public and private schools in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI), received tips on how to avoid falling victim to online sexual predators Feb. 23 through Feb. 27 during a USVI-sponsored youth summit at a local hotel in Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas. The presentation was provided under U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Project iGuardian.

As part of Project iGuardian, HSI special agents in St. Thomas organized the largest Internet safety outreach in the USVI for 8- to 16-year-old kids to provide them with the necessary tools to make smart decisions when navigating the Internet. The event was part of the 2015 USVI Youth Summit sponsored by the USVI Police Department and the local Department of Education.

HSI special agents together with their law enforcement partners provided more than 1,000 students with hands-on tips on how to avoid falling victim to online sexual predators. Using super hero-style characters and trading cards developed expressly for the iGuardian initiative, HSI St. Thomas special agents reminded young computer users to "think before you click," and to make the right choices while navigating the Internet. 

“The online sexual exploitation of children has reached alarming proportions worldwide,” said Louis Penn, resident agent in charge of HSI St. Thomas. “Raising awareness about the risks that lurk in cyberspace is key to helping keep kids safe.”

HSI St. Thomas will be working closely with its partner law enforcement agencies in the USVI to coordinate and conduct Project iGuardian presentations. The initiative builds on the outreach already being conducted by HSI St. Thomas in which local, state and federal law enforcement agencies work together with local and state government agencies to effectively pool their resources to jointly investigate all crimes against children in the USVI.

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