FBI instructs Rockville Centre students on Internet safety

FBI Special Agent Danielle Messineo, Rockville Centre Police Department Commissioner Charles Gennario and RVCPD Lieutenant Chris Romance spoke to fifth grade students at Wilson School about the positive and negative aspects of Internet usage on Dec. 13. 

The event was presented live at Wilson School and simulcast using our vBrick system for other fifth grade classes throughout the district, according to district spokeswoman Lauren Bella. The informative presentation covered cyberbullying, predators and privacy setting usage. Students actively participated in a question-and-answer session, in person and virtually via email questions posed from other schools.

According to Bella, Messineo has been a special agent with the FBI since 1995. Special Agent Messineo is currently assigned to the Long Island Innocent Images Task Force, a combination of local and federal law enforcement partners that work in collaboration to investigate the online sexual exploitation of children.

She has been the primary investigator for child pornography matters for nearly a decade and works closely with the village police force in protecting the community’s children.

Since second grade, students have learned about Internet safety through integrated units conducted in the STELLAR program. As they mature, children will make personal decisions about a host of concepts, including smart use of the Internet, Bella said. This program represented another building block in honing their Internet Safety skills and keeping our children safe.