Gov. Walker, Others Urge Commitment to Protecting Children

Waukesha County District Attorney Brad Schimel’s young daughter was unhappy when he wouldn’t let her have a Facebook profile.

Schimel has prosecuted many sex crime cases, including one that drew national media attention after Anthony Stancl, a then-New Berlin Eisenhower student, used Facebook to blackmail male students into sex acts with him. Stancl was sentenced to 15 years in state prison.

So, it should come as no surprise the Schimel told the girl “No.” But she wasn’t going to take no for an answer. She told her dad that her grandparents probably let him have a Facebook account at her age.

Schimel gave the story as an example as how rapidly technology has changed during the past decade.

Facebook launched in mid-2000s while Schimel was already through law school and established in Waukesha County as a prosecutor.

 “I started in the Waukesha DA’s office over 20 years ago, and we didn’t prosecute anybody for child pornography because we couldn’t find any,” Schimel said. “… We very rarely got the opportunity to find out it was happening. Now it is just so easy (for offenders).”

Twenty years ago, even 15 years ago, the notion that offenders could talk with someone online and drive to another community to have sexual relations with a child was unheard of, Schimel said. Now that world has changed, the DA said.

“They are out there. They have always been among us,” Schimel said. “It is just that they have such tools to be able to get at kids anonymously. They are able to test that water and they can build the relationship with kids in ways that they never could.”

Schimel was joined by other officials, including Gov. Scott Walker, Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch, and Ed Wall, administrator for the Division of Criminal Investigation in the Department of Justice in attempt to educate parents about Internet and cell phone dangers while promoting the funding for the Internet Crimes Against Children initiative that received additional support in the 2011-13 state budget.

The budget provisions allow for eight additional employees to be on the special taskforce in 2011-12 and three additional positions in 2012-13.

“It is too easy and people who are preying on our children are definitely evil,” said Kleefisch, while promoting the budget provisions for the additional enforcement.

Kleefisch urged the community to keep talking about the Internet crime problems.

“It is incredibly important that we recognize the commitment the governor has for public safety,” Kleefisch said.

The way to combat the Internet-based crimes against children is a multifaceted approach, Walker said, that includes apprehending the offenders before a child is harmed and informing and educating the public.

“We are trying to attack this problem at the roots,” Wall said.

The presentation included ways to check your child’s Internet and phone safety included:

• Installing software to track Instant Message conversations
• Being friends with your child’s Facebook account and reading your child’s Facebook account
• Having your friends be friends with your child’s Facebook and Twitter accounts
• Tracking your child’s text messages