Homeland Security Investigations in San Juan held its iGuardian Summit.
The event is focused on using education and awareness to ensure children and teenagers are safe from online predators, according to a May 1 news release. This seventh iteration of the event reached more than 1,700 public school students ages 12 to 16 from the Caguas regional district.
"It is an honor for Gurabo to receive this event in our town. It is important that we can integrate in an initiative in favor of children in Puerto Rico,” Rosachely Rivera, mayor of Gurabo, said in the release. “This orientation is important for students and teachers. There are people who want to harm our children through social networks. With this in mind, we are taking a step up and making a commitment to the safety and well-being of young people with access to social networks."
HSI San Juan special agents helped facilitate the iGuardian Summit in an effort to target threats of bullying, and the agenda included presentations by HSI agents and representatives of the Puerto Rico Police Bureau focusing on online safety and self-confidence, the release reported.
Alek Pacheco, supervisor of the Puerto Rico Crimes Against Children Task Force at HSI San Juan, provided children in attendance with a range of resources and techniques to help them in detecting online predators and using social media in a responsible manner, according to the release.
“Our goal is to provide children the right tools so they can protect themselves from sexual predators who use the internet with the intent to persuade and coerce our minors to engage in illicit sexual behavior,” Rebecca Gonzalez-Ramos, HSI San Juan acting special agent in charge, said in the release. “To that end, we have the best resources and tools which we want to put at their reach so we can prevent these crimes."
Lt. Jimmy Concepcion, of the Puerto Rico Police Bureau, is in charge of the Department of Public Safety's Experience Program, and he discussed the importance of being confident in one’s abilities, the release reported
Rivera and Eliezer Ramos Pares, secretary of the Puerto Rico Department of Education, offered their support for the program, according to the news release.
