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Category: Guarding the 'Net; NBA All-Star Shaquille O'Neal Named Spokesperson for the Safe Surfin' Foundation; ... law enforcement, community groups and librarians with the information and resources necessary to keep children safe and their exploration of the Internet fun. WASHINGTON, March 2 /PRNewswire/ -- NBA All-Star Shaquille O'Neal will be guarding the 'Net and protecting kids from online crimes in his new role as spokesperson for the Safe Surfin' Foundation.
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"Shaq," as he is affectionately known by millions of basketball fans, was also sworn-in today as an Honorary Deputy U.S. Marshal. Shaq is a Reserve Deputy with the Bedford County (Va.) Sheriff's Office, where deputies on its Internet Crimes Against Children Task (ICAC) Force are Special Deputy U.S. Marshals. ICAC is supported by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.
Shaq will be helping the Safe Surfin' Foundation educate children, teens, and parents about the dangers of online predators and how to avoid falling victim online. There are an estimated 77 million children and teens online today who will likely visit one or more of the 40,000-plus chat rooms child predators visit. According to the FBI, there is a "100 percent chance" of a child or teen meeting a predator in a chat room.
"Today's criminals are hiding behind computer screens, fake names and fraudulent identities, all with the intention of exploiting and harming our youth," Shaq said. "I'm proud to help the Safe Surfin' Foundation get the word out to parents, kids and communities about Internet safety and to help law enforcement track down and lock up sexual predators."
Bedford County Sheriff Mike Brown, who was instrumental in having Shaq named as the Safe Surfin' spokesperson, said the Miami Heat star will resonate well with today's youth.
"Shaq knows kids ... and kids, and their parents, love him," Sheriff Brown said. "Shaq will be a tremendous asset in helping law enforcement, parents, and communities fight online crime and sexual exploitation of children."
Sheriff Brown said he was "honored and proud" to have Shaq as a Reserve Deputy with the Bedford County Sheriff's Office.
Robin Sundquist, Executive Director of the Safe Surfin' Foundation, said Shaq will help raise funds for public education programs, which will be distributed nationwide through the ICAC Task Force network to keep kids safe online and thwart sexual predators.
"Our greatest challenge is convincing parents, communities and kids that the dangers out in cyberspace are very real and proactive active steps need to be taken to protect and educate children and teenagers. Shaq's commitment to this effort will help Safe Surfin' and law enforcement meet that challenge," Sundquist said.
To learn more about Shaq's involvement with Safe Surfin', tips for protecting kids against online crime and other valuable resources, please visit http://www.SafeSurfinCentral.org.
The Safe Surfin' Foundation is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization that provides parents, teachers and school administrators, law enforcement, community groups and librarians with the information and resources necessary to keep children safe and their exploration of the Internet fun.
Source: Safe Surfin' Foundation
Source: Yahoo News (press release) - USA
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