(From Sen. Jill Carter, R-Granby)One in three young people now say their closest confidants are online friends — a statistic that reveals a dangerous vulnerability. Predators are exploiting that trust to groom Missouri’s children for sexual abuse and exploitation, often right in their own homes.
As a Missouri state senator, I established 12 Citizen Advisory Boards with each one specializing in various issues, to help identify urgent issues and develop model legislation in response.
One issue our Vulnerable Youth Advisory Board is tackling with urgency is the rise of online grooming. We are working in collaboration with law enforcement, prosecutors, juvenile offices, and child advocates to strengthen protections for Missouri’s children — including restoring funding for the Missouri Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force.
Between 2017 and 2022, ICAC reported a 20% increase in online child exploitation cases in Missouri. National surveys show 5.4% of children report being groomed online, 7.2% have been coerced into producing explicit images, and 3.5% have experienced sextortion — where predators use threats to extort more images or money. Rural and urban areas alike are affected.
The human toll behind these numbers is heartbreaking.
At a recent roundtable hosted by our Vulnerable Youth Advisory Board, child advocate Madison Royer shared a chilling story: her 14- and 16-year-old sisters were groomed by their taekwondo instructor.
Over 272 days, he sent them an average of 63 text messages a day — more than 17,000 total — and arranged secret meetings. This was not an isolated incident, but a calculated, prolonged effort to exploit minors under the guise of mentorship.
In another Missouri case, a 16-year-old boy took his own life after falling victim to sextortion. Posing as a teenage girl, online predators coerced him into sharing explicit images, then threatened to expose him unless he paid. Overwhelmed and ashamed, he saw no way out.
Groomers use fake identities on social media, gaming platforms, and messaging apps. They build trust through compliments or shared interests, isolate their victims by encouraging secrecy, and slowly introduce sexual content — often through suggestive messages or pornography. Eventually, they escalate to blackmail.
Missouri must act.
We are looking to successful efforts that will give prosecutors more tools to charge grooming behavior before physical abuse occurs. My team is also working toward hosting a town hall this October to engage the public and rally support for policy changes.
Restoring ICAC funding is essential. The task force supports 14 cybercrime units across Missouri, but demand is outpacing resources. We must also strengthen laws so that grooming itself — not just the final act of abuse — is a chargeable offense.
Parents play a vital role too: monitor devices, set boundaries, and talk with children about online red flags like secrecy, flattery, and inappropriate content.
One in three kids turning to online relationships for connection is not a harmless trend — it’s a call to action. Our kids couldn’t The predators are no longer hiding in shadows; they’re in our homes, on our devices. Let’s unmask them and protect our kids.
11 comments:
This is a much more honorable and morally correct use of my tax dollars than trying to steal an election. I'm still not voting for you.
10:14AM - Will you Dems ever give it a rest. My God wasn't the Biden / Harris Presidency enough of a calamity and farce for the Democratic Party? They are still trying to figure out what happened, who lied about Biden's Health Issues, who was running the autopen for the country, while sleepy Joe was in a coma?
Do you think Trump is lying about his relationship with convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein?
Number one cause of child death in US is guns. Let's address that too.
Can't and won't give it rest 232. Maga is a deplorable cult of unscrupulous meglomanical minions of a 34x convicted felon who is a treasonous sexual predator. Your master definitely knew, and possibly participated, in the systematic sexual abuse of under aged girls. Couple that with 1/6 and an ever expanding assault on the constitution, economy, human rights, and the environment, and you have an existential threat to all humanity.
While in itself a vital and important cause to lean into - I’d have more respect for the senator if it weren’t a reactive distraction from the trump/ Epstein debacle. Where is the outrage at the human trafficking and abuse of which trump was a participant ? Will Jill denounce all congressional office holders who have groomed teen girls ?
I see this as another publicity stunt- when there’s a hot topic - Jill and her team create an action. Examples - trump’s so called danger at the border with drug cartels and fentanyl. Here comes Jill with a crisis at the border segment. Then trump pardoned Ulbricht and let El Chapo family across the border.
Here comes Jill with human trafficking/ grooming concern. Hello - trump is a convicted sexual abuser and in the Epstein files.
Constitutionalist - only when people are aligned with her opinion. Not open to discourse . No interest in making sure the Missouri voters are recognized for passing paid sick leave or abortion -she’ll be a part of overturning your vote.
Photo ops - she’s a “pick me “ .
I don’t buy any of your false interest or concern for the community. Your eyes are on DC. Truly a disappointment and disgrace. I thought Bill White was bad - but jeez - you’ve got him beat for sure.
Is it stranger danger when the pervert is the one who owns the modeling agency and beauty pagent?
Hell yes a hundred times over.
It's crucial to acknowledge the different types of unintentional injuries, with motor vehicle crashes, drowning, poisoning, falls, and fires being among the most common. Ages 1-19
Your statement is misleading, ages 15-19 is what your statement is based on, and your an adult at 18 so this figure is wrong as well it should say 15-17 but that number wouldn’t be large enough to make a point. So many lies behind gun deaths
I have never seen a group of people hold on harder to the saying of “If you have to eat a turd, don’t nibble” than the MAGA cult has in the past 8 months. Yeesh.
Basic bullshit nra talking points. 555 must be a board member. Keep preaching your conspiracy theories and denial of school shootings 555. The only ones listening to you are your kind.
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