Spotlight On: Sgt. Corey MacDonald, Esq.

As a School Resource Officer at Portsmouth New Hampshire High School, Sergeant Corey F. MacDonald recognized the potential dangers students face online because of sites like myspace.com. His concern led him to take action and become well-versed in the myspace.com community.

He stresses that parents and educators should be aware, because:

• 1 in 5 youth are approached by online predators, according to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
• 58,200 children were abducted by non-family members in a 1999 study
• 74% of abducted children are murdered within 3 hours of the abduction
• Take the opportunity to be proactive in getting to know a child's challenges and interests

Sgt. MacDonald also emphasizes that there is often evidence of blatant criminal conduct on myspace, which includes:

• Marijuana growth operations with suspects posing next to plants
• Gang membership with tagging and graffiti
• Drug use complete with surveys, pictures and contact information
• Underage drinking parties with chat logs and pictures which could show up in court or at a college as well as job interviews even years later.

In the new world of cyberspace, myspace is a contemporary mode of social networking and it is important that educators, law enforcement officials and parents are in tune with the positive and negative ramifications of this new age of communication.

We commend Sgt. MacDonald for his efforts in highlighting the potential dangers of online communities to students, parents, educators, and community leaders.