By: Eugene Gilligan
Janek, the executive director of advocacy for the Child Abuse Unit of the Long Island chapter of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, said parents must be aware of the Internet's dangers. Sexual predators can very easily "disguise" themselves as children in a chat room, win a child's trust, and eventually set up a meeting. Parents must monitor what Web sites and chat rooms their kids are frequenting.
"It's essential that kids keep safe on the computer," Janek said. "Parents are in denial, and say 'Not my child."
The SPCC-CAU is empowered by the New York State Division of Criminal Justice to concentrate its efforts solely to enforce the laws that pertain to minors. The group's investigators and New York State Peace Officers are trained and state-approved in the recognition, reporting, and documentation of child abuse cases.
Janek is interested in the group in some measure because of her work in high tech, as an events planner and manager at a computer magazine publisher. When she was laid off from her job, she threw herself into volunteer work, and says her work with the SPCC-CAU is one way to stay connected with the high tech world.
While the group has received support from area businesses, religious organizations, and students, school districts have been unresponsive, she said.
"I'm baffled by that," Janek said. "These schools should be getting behind these kids. Why haven't these schools stepped up to the plate."
The Crime Abuse Unit of the SPCC has started a fund raising campaign by soliciting used ink and toner cartridges. The used cartridges are sold for recycling, with a portion of the funds going to the Child Abuse Unit.
The SPCC-CAU's booklet "Internet Safety Guide," details the different types of child exploitation on the Internet. The book also offers safety tips, and suggests steps to take if a parent believes their child is communicating with a sexual predator online.
The organization is also getting kids involved in the fight, inviting them to design a mascot at their Web site.
Another way for kids to stay safe, Janek said, is to spend significant time away from the computer.
"They should get out more, do volunteer work, raise money for a sick child," she said.
Her student volunteers, Stacee White of Baldwin, Dana Jones and Gina LoCurcio of West Hempstead, and Benjamin Kornick of Roslyn, have made a great contribution to her group, she said. They have appeared on radio station KJOY 98.3 and the Telecare cable TV channel to raise awareness of the SPCC-CAU. The volunteers also help with various fund-raising initiatives, and also visit local business to ask for used printer cartridges.
The group's investigative unit uses some sophisticated methods to track down pedophiles. Last May, the unit and the Nassau County District Attorney's office arrested a man who made contact with a 13-year-old girl. The man, after meeting the girl on the Internet, attempted to set up a meeting by phone. But the 13-year-old girl he thought he was talking to was really Paul Hamilton, chief of investigations for the SPCC-CAU. Hamilton used sophisticated voice-filtering equipment to disguise his voice.
But while there have been successes, Hamilton said the largely unregulated Internet is an ideal hunting ground for the pedophile.
"If you took every police officer from every jurisdiction in the country, and put them all together, we'd still be outnumbered by those who want to exploit children," Hamilton said.
One local business that is an enthusiastic supporter of the group is Cartridge World of Franklin Square, which sells refilled inkjet and laser cartridges.
"Basically, we're trying to help out," said the store's president, Frank J. Francia. "We wanted to do something, so we set up a recycling bin in the store for them." Francia, and his partner in the store, James Carroll, are both retired New York City detectives, and display posters and literature about the organization around their store. They have talked to other businesses in their area to try to convince them to set up recycling bins.
Some people withdraw from their community after they lose their jobs, but Valentina Janek has done the opposite, working with charities and becoming more involved in her community.
In addition to her work with SPCC-CAU, she is an organizer for the Long Island Volunteer Hall of Fame, and has also, along with a longtime friend, befriended and raised funds for Nicole Caputo, a seven-year old whose near drowning three years ago left her severely brain damaged. She is writing a book about the experience.
"Volunteering is good for your soul, good for your career, good for your health," Janek said. She wants to re-enter the world of work, but her charity work has "opened up a new world of people, places, and things. It's given me wings."
To participate in the cartridge recycling program, call 1-866-STOP ABUSE. To learn more about the SPCC-CAU, visit www.childabuseunit.com
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