Madison County Sheriff to parents: Talk to your kids now about online predator risk

Seth Ratliff
REXBURG, Idaho (KIFI) — The Madison County Sheriff’s Office has issued an urgent public service announcement following a surge in local cases where children became victims of online exploitation and extortion over the past month.
Local detectives and patrol officers have investigated multiple incidents involving children from elementary school to high school age. Sheriff Ron Ball warns parents that “no age group is off limits to online predators.” While the exact number of cases remains unspecified, the trend has prompted the Sheriff’s Office to ask parents to take immediate action.
Sheriff Ball took to Facebook to urge parents to have an important conversation with their children about online safety this week, stating: “We’re asking all parents to take a few minutes this week to talk with your kids about their online activity. Know what apps they use, who they’re talking to, and how to report something suspicious.”
The Sheriff’s Office specifically identified the following as platforms involved in the recent cases:
Snapchat
Roblox
BeReal
X (formerly Twitter)
“Many parents give their young children access to these popular games and apps without having any idea that they have unrestricted access to strangers on the Internet,” adds the Rexburg Police Department. “Please be involved in your kids’ Internet and computer usage!”
If you need to report exploitation or extortion, please contact the Madison County Sheriff’s Office at 208-372-5001. For trusted tips and tools to help keep your family safe online, click HERE.