SPOKANE, Wash. — Spokane police are warning parents about a rise in online predators targeting local children, prompting a new community education campaign focused on digital safety.
The Spokane Police Department is partnering with the Spokane Regional Health District and the FBI on a Child Internet Safety Education Campaign in response to increased reports of children falling victim to online exploitation. The agencies are hosting focus groups at libraries across the county to raise awareness and gather feedback from parents.
Detective Tim Schwering with the Spokane Police Department discovered the increase while investigating cryptocurrency cases that revealed connections to dark web transactions and ransom payments to online predators…