INDIANA – In Indiana state police are helping to catch predators who exploit and molest children. Sometimes they get the tips from the Nation Centers For Missing and Exploited Children. That organization gets tips from people who may suspect that a child is being molested, or sometimes trafficked or exploited online.

“The source of our tips come primarily from our 1-800-THE LOST hotline. But, we also have our cyber tipline,” said NCMEC vice pres. Bob Lowery.

He praised the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force as one of the country’s best, but said they don’t always catch everything. You have to be watchful in your home.

“Anywhere that you’re gonna have children online where they can communicate by voice or by text, it’s being used also as a grounds or a place where offenders are going to go to make contact with our children,” he said. Lowery pointed out that gaming is sometimes where creeps go to find kids.

“Obviously they’re not going to be presenting themselves as who they really are. They’re gona be presenting themselves as someone who’s similar age as the child to start those conversations,” said Lowery.

He said sometimes after days, weeks or months the predator reveals his or her true intentions. By then they could have control of child by exploiting them with pics or videos.

“We need to identify when that’s occurring and get that child out of that circumstance as fast as we possibly can.

Lowery said if you’re a parent you have a responsibility to monitor your child’s online activity.

“What I encourage parents to do is keep a wide-open conversation with their children and encourage their children to report anything that made them feel uncomfortable.”