Chris Hansen, Dateline NBC And Perverted Justice Honored by Love Our Children USA
Love Our Children USA announced today that it has honored Chris Hansen, Dateline NBC and Perverted Justice for their work in protecting children and teens on the Internet.
NEW YORK (PRWEB) September 24, 2006
The Internet has become a playground for pedophiles and predators, the very people who prey upon our most innocent … our children.
In 2004, Chris Hansen reported on child sex trafficking in Cambodia, including going undercover in a dramatic mission to rescue some of the children. Then in September 2004, Hansen led an unprecedented hidden camera investigation of sexual predators on the Internet and aired the series “To Catch A Predator” on Dateline NBC. On June 27, 2006, Hansen testified before the House Sub Committee on Oversight and Investigations on this issue.
Partnering with the computer watchdog group Perverted Justice, Hansen and his camera crew caught men from all areas of the country and from all walks of life who said in on-line chats that they were looking for sexual encounters with both male and female kids under the age of 18. Perverted Justice spends their time in chatrooms as decoys, set up the stings and arranged for the meetings to take place with the predators and minors.
Together, Chris Hansen and Perverted Justice are responsible for the arrest of almost 180 suspected predators in 2006 alone. All of the men caught on camera are currently facing criminal charges, some have even pleaded guilty.
Ross Ellis, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Love Our Children USA said “We owe it to our children to keep them safe. The work that Chris Hansen, Dateline and Perverted Justice are doing should be a wake up call to every parent – because no child is immune from these predators. We are proud to present them with awards and express our gratitude for the courageous work they have done on behalf of children.”
The issue has become a national epidemic. Ellis cautions parents “if they think it can’t happen to their children … they should think again and take measures to keep their children safe on the Internet.”
Love Our Children USA reports that one in five children online has been approached by adults looking for sex. FBI statistics say children have a 100% chance of meeting a predator in a chat room. As a result abductions, murder and child trafficking have taken place and continue to do so.
Love Our Children USA is committed to educating parents, kids and the public about all forms of violence against children and sends gratitude and kudos to Chris Hansen and Perverted Justice.
About Love Our Children USA
November 2006 marks Love Our Children USA’s eighth year as the leading national nonprofit organization that honors, respects, and protects children. Its mission is to break the cycle of violence against children. It works to eliminate behaviors that keep children from reaching their potential. It redefines parenting by promoting positive changes in parenting and family attitudes, along with behaviors and prevention strategies through public education campaigns. Love Our Children USA works to empower and support children, teens, parents and families through information, resources, advocacy and online youth mentoring. It has become the Go-To prevention organization for all forms of violence and neglect against children in the U. S. Its goal is keeping children safe and strengthening families …its message is positive – one of prevention and hope.
Contact:
Media Relations
Love Our Children USA
1.888.347.KIDS (5437) / 212.629.2099
About Chris Hansen:
Chris Hansen is a correspondent for NBC News' Dateline NBC. Hansen joined NBC in May 1993, as a correspondent for Now with Tom Brokaw and Katie Couric.
More than two years ago, Hansen began his breakthrough investigative reporting on online sexual predators, revealing a national epidemic and making headlines across the country. Seven dramatic hidden camera investigations have exposed over 150 men who target young teenagers over the Internet. In June 2006, he traveled to China to report in a year long hidden camera investigation into the counterfeit prescription drug trade. The in-depth report documented how easy it is for counterfeit medicines to wind up at local pharmacies in the United States. In addition, Hansen has received two Emmy Awards for his 2004 report on child sex trafficking in Cambodia for which he went undercover in a dramatic mission to rescue some of the children. His report included an exclusive interview with Secretary of Sate Colin Powell on the administration’s efforts to combat the issue.
Hansen has received numerous awards including six Emmys for investigative reporting, outstanding coverage of a news story and outstanding coverage of breaking news. He has received the Overseas Press club award, the National Press Club award and the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists Award. Hansen has also received awards for excellence in journalism from both the Associated Press and United Press International, and he has won four Edward R. Murrow awards for his news series investigating aviation security and safety as well as his coverage of the Ford/Firestone case. He's been honored with three Clarion awards for his coverage Indian child slave labor, aviation security and the Unabomber case and a first place medal for an undercover investigation of airport security as well as numerous Headliner awards.
Dateline NBC http://www. msnbc. msn. com (http://www. msnbc. msn. com)
About Perverted Justice
Created in July, 2003 Perverted-Justice. com was created. The goal of their website and its endeavors is to create a "chilling effect" in regional chat rooms and other easy targets of opportunity online such as social networking websites. The goal of the Perverted Justice team is to turn the website into a conviction machine with as many information first agreements with police as possible.
Http://www. perverted-justice. com (http://www. perverted-justice. com)
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