MillionKids.org

We all watched in horror as a former President of the United States was wounded in an assignation attempt by a 20-year-oldyoung man with no history of violence who decided to take other people’s lives. There were many other crimes that received lesser attention and yet they also altered other people’s lives. Headlines sharing how sexually explicit AI Deepfakes were sent around high schools and ruining the lives of more than 50 innocent girls. Nearly 100 young people in the Bay area took over a convenience store and destroyed or stole the contents and threatened the lives of an innocent clerk. Every one of these instances reminds us that, in this world, are people with little moral character, demonstrating corrupt human values and having total disregard for others. At the same time, it occurs to us that global social media will be the primary factor in impacting our children’s attitudes about right and wrong, truth and propaganda, and moral clarity. Now, more than any time in our history, it is critical for parents and grandparents to define family values for our children. It is important to counter the outside influence on our children, giving them a solid foundation to know unequivocally what we believe in. We encourage open discussions about empathy, respect, love, forgiveness, self-respect and honoring the rights and possessions of others. I think it is important to have discussions about digital morality, and the impact of A.I. in altering the truth, and the challenge to define your own character. One of the most valuable activities a family can experience is to identify and write down, what your family believes and stands for. Individuals who know who they are and what they stand for are infinitely more difficult to influence for bad and much more likely to mature to become leaders with strong character and moral values. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/million-kids/support

Most adults would be appalled and intimidated at the thought of posting a nude image of themselves online. But honesty, for young people it is often seen as a routine act of socializing. A research study conducted by a highly respected company, Thorn.org shows that 1 in 5 teenagers report having shared a nude image of themselves. And 1 in 7 pre-teens have shared a nude image of themselves. But things have vastly changed in the past 36 months as the entire world has experienced a technology transformation unlike ever seen before in history. With the capabilities of artificial intelligence to be used to alter images and videos, no one will be safe. A nude online is an open invitation for ruthless blackmail. Most apps now have geo location software to pinpoint where an individual is at, and most apps, games and messaging services have money transfer that facilitates easy blackmail and collection of ransoms by organized criminal groups around the globe. Million Kids has started fund raising for a specialized project to create short and to the point resources for teens and pre teens to understand how to protect themselves against sextortion. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/million-kids/support

It seems like nearly every day we hear another story of how A.I. (Artificial Intelligence) is being used to in ways we never imagined. It is hard to tell if that is good news or bad news. For certain the future, as we know it, will be drastically different. Your host, Opal Singleton, discusses the impact on how crimes will be perpetrated using A.I. We will also explore how law enforcement will investigate crimes, and possible ways that legislation will need to change to be able to prosecute underground criminal networks. There are many great uses for Artificial Intelligence that will make our lives, our businesses and our futures more efficient and prosperous. The challenge is to define how A.I. will be used by criminals to harm innocent individuals. For instance, what happens when A.I. is used to sexually alter an image of an innocent toddler or young child and those images are circulated around the globe to dark web pedophiles. The child has not been physically violated but their image will forever be desecrated around the globe. Obviously our society must quickly understand the impact of how A.I. will change crime, crime solving and crime execution. We MUST invest in advanced technologies for law enforcement to keep up with the underground criminal activity that is extremely well funded through money laundering and mass perpetration of sexual violation, drug trafficking, smuggling and gun trafficking. At the same time, there is an urgent need for advocates and legislators to comprehend the challenges of the future for prosecution, prevention and intervention as well as victim assistance. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/million-kids/support

There is much discussion these days about how Artificial Intelligence will be used to gather information and generate new information that will influence our thinking, get us to purchase goods, or create images that can be used to blackmail innocent individuals. The Million Kids Team constantly conducts research and we are in the process of creating short form videos and media that will help protect our kids and their families. In the course of that research, we discovered an article that talks about how foreign organizations are creating e-commerce websites for the sole purpose of gathering targeted data and sharing that data with government agencies that are hostile to the U.S. It is important to understand how individuals, corporations and governments can seduce consumers of ALL ages into providing a vast amount of information through gaming and websites. According to Cate Cadell of the Washington Post, "an example is the website TEMU -the breakout Chinese shopping app with over 100 million U.S. users and a unit of the Communist Party. " On this podcast, we will look at how innocent activities online give out significant amount of personal information and how that information can be used for targeted misinformation campaigns and other clandestine activities. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/million-kids/support

Million Kids has been educating the public about sex trafficking for over 14 years now. We have seen many changes taking place in how predators and pimps operate, how they recruit innocent victims, and how they control a victim once they have brought them into a life of sex trafficking. During the past 12 months, we have witnessed historic changes in the crime of sex trafficking in ways that we could not have imagined even three years ago. The scale and scope of sex trafficking in California has reached a level that simply overwhelms the mind. There are several factors driving these changes. Over the past 3 years we have experienced an onslaught of sophisticated technologies such as artificial intelligence, mass audience live streaming, global digital currency, geo location software tied to dating sites, and offshore (bulletproof hosting) servers that masks the identity of site hosting. Each of these technologies empowers the criminal element, and increases the likelihood that a young person can be accessed, groomed, recruited and exploited by pimps, gangs and predators. At the same time, California created legislation that made it difficult for law enforcement to intervene in loitering for street prostitution as well creating an open border environment where literally millions of individuals are entering our country without proper vetting. Simultaneously, California is host to some of the largest homeless populations in the nation, creating an environment where homeless individuals can be easily exploited by pimps and cartels. Million Kids is committed to continuing to educate and combat sex trafficking in our communities. With the financial assistance of our donors and their prayer support, together we form a team of experts and advocates, that say enough is enough. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/million-kids/support

Sextortion has long been recognized as a hideous crime where individuals are lured into sending a nude or illicit image to a salacious new friend online and the blackmail begins. Historically, sextortion often focused on young girls and that were coerced into continuing to send nude and erotic photos to their online blackmailers. Those photos were used by underground pedophiles to buy, sell and trade images of pedophilia in the dark web or peer to peer networks. With the onset of global 5G High Speed Internet connection, the crime of sextortion has become prolific and egregious almost beyond comprehension. Young and old alike are the latest victims of digital financial sextortion. The financial blackmail often targets young teen males with devastating impact onthe victim and their families. However, elderly individuals seeking online relationships or to sell timeshare investments can also be easy targets. A recent Threat Intelligence Report, issued by Network Contagion Research Institute stated that "they have observed an exponential increase in sextortion cases targeting minors and youth on social media platforms over the past 18 months. " One of the statistics they quoted was based on a national survey in the U.S. "51%of Gen Z teens and young adults said they or their friends were catfished in online sextortion scams resulting in their intimate photos being used against them" The Million Kids Team find this new development greatly concerning. There is an urgent need to educate youth and adults about the devastating nature of global digital financial sextortion rings originating out of poor third world countries. During this podcast, we will address specific activities and how global criminal organizations use apps like Instagram, Snapchat and Wizz to access, groom, entice and exploit young and old alike. The audience will also be invited to join forces with Million Kids to create programs for prevention and intervention of sextortion. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/million-kids/support

THE ACCELERATING WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY AND MAKING SENSE OF : MASS AUDIENCE LIVE STREAMING GLOBAL DIGITAL CURRENCY GEO LOCATION SOFTWARE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE Gone are the days when our kids talk to only people they know online. The past several months have seen an expansion (and explosion) of technologies that it is hard to keep up with. Mass audience live streaming, global digital currency, artificial intelligence, geo location software impacts our kids and puts them on a global stage communicating with thousands of people they will most likely never meet. To get a grasp of just how big the global online community is Opal did some research. Check this out. Fortnite has 500 Million active accounts. Roblox has 70 million active daily users. Roblox has 300 million monthly active users 60% of Roblox users are under 16 yrs old - 52% are males. Tik Tok has 1.2 Billion users- 150 million users in the U.S. 20% of Tik Tok users in U.S are under 17 yrs. old = 30 million users X (Twitter) has 368 million active users. Reddit has 430 million active users. Snapchat has 750 million active users. This generation of young people will have the greatest challenge to parent of all time. Everyday, our kids go online where they are connected to hundreds of people they have never met. How can they tell if they are talking to a good guy or a bad guy (or girl)? What is the likelihood that child will meet up with an online predator and even more important, what are the chances they will recognize they are talking to a potential criminal and know how to protect themselves? --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/million-kids/support

Recently, the DEA, along with Law Enforcement Agencies in Riverside City and County, announced a major fentanyl bust worth more than $16 million. "Operation Hotline Bling" dealt a major blow to the Sinaloa Cartels culminating in at least 15 arrests and a monumental seizure of illicit drugs. According to the DEA, for the first time in history, fatal overdoses reached 112,000 deaths. Young people and people of color being among the hardest hit. According to an article published by Michael McManus for FAIR, fentanyl is rapidly replacing heroin as the drug cartels are using to make money. Fentanyl is attractive to the cartels because of the massive profit margin, with just $50,000 in production costs, generating more than $ 20 million in income. This week's episode looks at the impact of fentanyl, meth and other illicit drugs on our communities, our kids and the homeless population. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/million-kids/support

The past two years has brought a plethora of technological advances that is enough to make our heads spin. Only when you step back and examine all the types of technology advancements can you begin to understand the impact on our day to day lives and how to prepare our young people to live in a global online community. The FBI and Child Crime Prevention and Safety Center state that there are over 500,000 pedophiles online at any given time. They also state that more than 50% of victims are ages 12-15 years old. Approximately 90% of contacts with victims of online sexual exploitation where contacted through chat rooms and instant messaging apps. This episode, Opal Singleton, the host of "Exploited: Crimes and Technologies" explores the vast array of technology advancements that impact our day to day lives. These include, artificial intelligence, geo location software, digital currency, mass audience live streaming and the explosion of the number of new young users of inexpensive tablets. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/million-kids/support

Did you know that every week Million Kids publishes all the latest information, stories, trends, technologies, legislation, arrests and prosecutions etc related to sex and labor trafficking and social media exploitation. It is one of the most comprehensive information resources available for anyone interested in combating these crimes. To sign up to receive this resource, simply go to www.Millionkids.org and subscribe. Opal Singleton, Host of Exploited: Crimes and Technologies is going to talk about several intriguing scenarios that are in the news. The BBC just released information gathered by the IWF (Internet Watch Foundation) that discovered more than 2000 remotely filmed child abuse images of three to six year old children online. Many of these images were self-generated where a child is persuaded, coerced, or tricked by a predator into carrying out acts via webcam or handheld device. The research further reveals that a third of parents whose five to seven-year-olds browse social media are allowed to do so alone. The watchdog group “Ofcom” revealed that almost one quarter of children aged five to seven have a smartphone of their own. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/million-kids/support

Opal Singleton is the author of a book with the same title that shares about how predators use online relationships to create a false narrative about engaging in a caring and supportive relationships, then using that fantasy to groom and exploit their victims. The basics of online seduction are still the same but technology transformations have greatly accelerated the access to victims, facilitated payment processes for blackmailers, and artificial intelligence now allows the ability to alter images erotically and begin a blackmail process for completely uninvolved and innocent victims. Global technology connections means that cartels around the globe can access, groom, recruit and exploit our kids. There is an urgent need for parents and grandparents to help teens (and anyone with an online device) to understand how sending ANY kind of image/video or erotic live streaming can change their lives forever. What looks like a cute young guy/girl can easily be an organized criminal unit consisting of a chatter and a group of thugs looking to destroy their lives forever. We must educate everyone, that ANYONE WHO IS ASKING FOR A NUDE IS NOT YOUR FRIEND. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/million-kids/support

Fear is an interesting emotion. Fear can be a great motivator or it can paralyze you, or even seduce you into making questionable and knee jerk decisions. With informed and well thought out solutions, fear can keep you safe. Fear can be generated from your own “self talk” like “I am not good enough or I will probably screw this up again”. With 24 hour news and social media we are bombarded by the minute with fear based headlines. Media of all types have perfected a fear based dictionary using familiar phrases like: A Tragic End No one is Safe Deadly car crash. Celeb speaks out on divorce. Threatens to ouster Shuts down production Inflation is soaring Cost of living is skyrocketing Cancer scare During this weeks show, Opal Singleton examineS the power of fear. We talk about the need to teach our kids the positive and negatives of fear and how to use it wisely in decision processes. This is especially important for a generation of young people online that will seduced, manipulated and even threatened online. Making the right decision online, especially in a time of crisis or threats can be the difference in staying safe online or being compromised. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/million-kids/support

There is a new phenomenon that will eventually affect most of our lives, and yet it seems to be getting little attention. We now live our lives on a global level and while that may have many good advantages, it also comes with a high level likelihood that all of us, including our kids will be exposed to global organized criminal organizations without ever leaving our homes. In the past few months, we have read about thousands of cases where people are being scammed by nefarious telemarketing scams from Mexico, Philippines, Nigeria, Ivory Coast and Pakistan. Few of us understand who they are, how they operate, how to tell if you are talking to a scammer and most important what to do or not do if you become a target of their operations. This week, Opal will discuss four different cases of overseas telemarketing scammers that has changed peoples lives forever. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/million-kids/support

Never in our lifetime have we as a society experienced so much change related to technology. The past two years are unprecedented for a technology transformation. Over the past twenty-four to thirty-six months, we have watched as new technologies like mass audience live streaming, artificial intelligence, digital currencies, geo location software, and global 5G high speed internet have created global access to our children, and created a technology complexity that challenges even the most tech savvy parent. During this week's podcast, Opal Singleton discusses a variety of topics, techniques and challenges in creating healthy and informative dialogue about technology with your teenager. We discuss topics, like: “If your child sent or received a nude image from a someone they know or even a stranger, would they tell you?”. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/million-kids/support

Tonya Holt is a very special lady who has worked alongside Million Kids for several years in our efforts to keep kids safe from predators. Tonya lives in the Bakersfield, CA area and she and her husband David serve in Oildale at the Church Without Walls. Tonya is a Pastoral Counselor and the area the church serves is rampant with drug use, homelessness and many challenges related to mental health and addiction. Tonya shares her experiences and perspective about how to assist others that may seem challenging to most of us. Tonya is also a credentialed life & recovery coach, and she shares some ideas for parents in how to interact with young people so they will be able to grow up with good cognitive thinking skills and have empathy for others. Here is a list of values that Tonya feels is important to have conversations about with your kids. Key Things to Teach Kids: Empathy Values What are their Strengths? Dignity Respect for themselves Respect for Others Intuition Finding Purpose & Meaning --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/million-kids/support

Adults all over the world ask the same question. What is it about today’s young people that makes them think it is ok to send a “nude” to a total stranger. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) reports that they have processed more than 30 million potential reports of online child nudity or sexual abuse materials. After researching many of those report NCMEC states that they researched around 13,000 cases of online blackmail (sextortion) related to images, videos or live streaming of minors with potentially harmful materials online. With the onset of Artificial Intelligence (AI), anyone and everyone is at risk of having a perfectly innocent photo of themselves altered in such a way that a pedophile, predator or organized crime can demand a ransom to remove it. But the scenario becomes exponentially worse if the young person is seduced into sending or sharing an erotic image or live stream. As the entire world is connected by high speed 5 G internet, criminal individuals and organized crime can access, groom, recruit and exploit any young person in the U.S. At Million Kids, we have been combating sex trafficking and social media exploitation for nearly 15 years. We want to share with young people everywhere the following message... IF SOMEONE IS ASKING FOR AN IMAGE OR VIDEO OR LIVESTREAM THAT WOULD EMBARRASS YOU OR YOUR FAMILY IF IT WAS SHOWN ON A BILLBOARD IN YOUR HOMETOWN OR SCHOOL – DON'T DO IT - THEY ARE NOT YOUR FRIEND! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/million-kids/support

According to California Senator Shannon Grove: “California is a hot bed for human trafficking and consistently ranks number one in cases reported to the National Human Trafficking Hotline. Human trafficking is among the world’s fastest growing criminal enterprises and is estimated to be a $150 billion-a-year global industry”. Southern California often leads the nation in the number of cases. After the passage of SB357 introduced by Senator Scott Weiner (D) and signed by Governor Newsom, California has experienced a huge increase in the number of individuals being brought in from other states and countries to solicit for commercial sex on the our streets, This solicitation often takes place in front of businesses, schools and places of worship. This bill was labeled the California Safer Streets Act, and frankly nothing could have been further from the truth. Senator Shannon Grove is asking for individuals, organizations and corporations to join with them to help Sacramento legislators understand and support the effort to make it a felony to solicit, agree to engage in, or engage in any act of commercial sex with a minor. SB1414 Senator Kelly Seyarto has introduced SB 1219 which will establish the act of loitering in a public place and impeding traffic with the intent to direct or solicit prostitution forms of disorderly conduct. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/million-kids/support

Many people are not aware of just how violent and serious sex trafficking is in the Inland Empire. During this week's show we examine the latest case involving serious injury to young girls that were being coerced and exploited by a now convicted pimp, 35 year old Christian Scott Meeks. During the testimony at the sentencing hearing, it was disclosed that Meeks assaulted vulnerable young women who refused to work for him in commercial sex. Multiple victims testified to having received violent attacks including one victim who said that Meeks beat her so bad she was unconscious. This case is a great example of the excellent work of the Riverside County Anti Human Trafficking Task Force, led by the Riverside County Sheriff's Department and the Riverside County Prosecutors and District Attorney's Office to take a violent menace off the streets and ensure that he is prosecuted and sentenced for very heinous crimes. Great work! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/million-kids/support

This week, Opal Singleton has an exceptional guest, Michelle Balderas, Rock Church in San Bernardino. Together they talk about the plans for an event to educate parents and teens about raising the awareness on the dangers associated with social media. This event is designed to provide breakout sessions for teens and parents from some of the leading experts on human trafficking, social media exploitation, sextortion, self-defense, and technology hazards and safeguards. Most important, the event will open the eyes of the participants about how to live powerfully and with hope in a world that is experiencing a technology transformation. Participants will leave with knowledge, tools, resources and a message of hope from the Rock Church leaders. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/million-kids/support

In this show we continue our series on sharing our research on the latest trend in sextortion schemes that mercilessly target our teens, most are males. The perpetrators are from third world countries that now have sophisticated high-tech apps, dating sites, video gaming chat rooms and money transfer capability, where they can meet kids and seduce them into exchanging illicit images. This is all about making money and lots of it. Opal Singleton has been conducting research and comparative studies of these cases, where some of the victims have panicked and taken their own lives. Once the victim has shared an illicit image the blackmail begins. In some cases, the victim actually sent the money and/or blocked the communication, but the criminals are brutal. They continue to demand money, suggest the victim should take their own lives, and promise to destroy the victim if they don’t comply. These cases are heartbreaking. As technology capabilities expand to poor countries around the globe and as AI will be used to alter images, this type of blackmail will become common place. It is CRITICAL, that we understand this crime, and educate parents, grandparents and school personnel about how this crime takes place and how to help a potential victim so they are empowered to report and provide information so law enforcement can educate and prosecute predators, even if they are halfway around the world. Most important, we must prepare our kids so that when they become a victim, they will not panic and make life-changing decisions. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/million-kids/support