Every once in a while, something comes along that tempts kids into acting inappropriately, and their parents haven't a clue as to what it's about.

myspace.com is just one of these things. Many parents, if they know their kids use it, think the kids are just using it to post pictures, share information and chat with friends. Much of this is true, and probably a majority of myspace.com users use it this innocently.

At the same time, myspace has become a place where teenagers reveal a LOT about themselves:

Age
Location
Sexual Preferences
Pictures of themselves in risque' poses and clothes

And while yes, friends can visit each other's myspace pages, so can anybody else. Which is where the problem is. See, child molesters and serial rapists, also, unfortunately have access to the Internet - Just yesterday there was a sting netting quite a few of them, all having found their prospective victims on myspace - from the Los Angeles Times:

"The men are accused of contacting adults posing as 12- or 13-year-olds through popular websites such as MySpace.com. Members of a citizens group called perverted-justice.com, which has worked with law officers nationwide to catch would-be child molesters, chatted with the men and alerted Laguna Beach police, authorities said, whenever a man suggested a sexual rendezvous."

Folks - log into myspace.com and see what kids are posting. I have, and it is quite disturbing as a parent.

I welcome your comments.

Tim Keaney
NILB