Parents see ‘net as their kids do

Police presentation discusses websites parents may not know about and that could be dangerous.Newport Beach police warned Newport Harbor High School parents Wednesday that they need to be more savvy about what their teenagers are doing online.

Crime-prevention specialist Andi Querry was invited by the Newport Harbor PTA to introduce parents to the online world their teenagers may frequent without their knowledge.

On the agenda were two websites in particular: Myspace.com, the popular and controversial networking website, and OCplatinum.com, the website for an all-ages dance club in Newport Beach.

“My fear is that these young ladies or young men, they’re putting out information that could possibly make them victims of identity theft.... Some of the images may entice a predator,” Querry said.

Kids often provide too much personal information in online forums such as Myspace.com, Querry said. Information such as addresses and phone numbers can be accessed by strangers trying to prey on children, Querry said.

Too often, kids think the information they post online is only being viewed by their friends. But with the click of a mouse, a complete stranger can learn a lot about a child, Querry said.

Newport Harbor parents, concerned about the content on such websites, asked Newport police for more information, said Newport Beach Sgt. Bill Hartford.

Parent Jan Carsten said she found the presentation “extremely informational and eye-opening.” Carsten, whose 16-year-old daughter is a student at Newport Harbor, said she knew a little about Myspace.com before attending the meeting.

“It was really, really helpful to know a lot more about the possible problems that can occur and how to get more familiar with it,” Carsten said.

Carsten and her husband said they do monitor their daughter’s Internet access. Right now, their daughter’s access to Myspace.com is blocked because they want her to focus more on her schoolwork.

“It just takes up so much of their time that might be spent in school work or more positive avenues,” Carsten said.

Parents were especially surprised when Querry showed video and pictures from the website for all-ages club OC Platinum. The Newport Beach club, which is open to high school students and adults of any age, posts images of scantily dressed youngsters dancing and grinding on stripper poles.

Only about one-third of the parents at Wednesday’s meeting were aware of the club. Querry thinks the kids might be telling their parents a different story.

“I showed real pictures. I wanted people to know that it’s not in somebody else’s backyard. It’s in our backyard,” Querry said.

In addition to Wednesday’s meeting, the Police Department is holding Internet and computer safety classes for parents. The next Internet safety class will be March 22; a computer security class will be March 7. For more information, call (714) 644-3699.