Parents responsible for children internet use.

Timothy Cavier, a Level III sex offender, ought to be a lesson to parents. Timothy Cavier was arrested March 27th for his sexual weekend raping of 16-year-old boy from Rockville, MN. The mindset of sexual predators and the methods of rehabilitation are still open and unresolved. According to Star Tribune, Cavier met the boy online and the boy received permission to travel to Hopkins to visit “a friend” since his older sister went along.

Set aside the fact that Timothy Cavier is a Level III sex offender for a moment. Parents have the responsibility to monitor the internet activity and who their child interacts with. Granted children will find ways to rebel and ignore parental oversight. It does not mean parents need to become “helicopters” or eliminate internet use. Unfortunately we live in a society were child predators exist and it is our responsibility, as parents, to protect our children and educate them.

A friend of mine has a child that developed an internet connection with “a friend”. Through the internet interactions a plan has been hatched for my friends’ child and the internet friend to meet at a movie premiere in the near future. The movie premiere is to take place in a different country. The upside is my friend is doing the responsible thing by monitoring the conversation and taking the time to determine the true identity.

Had the Rockford mother taken the time to determine the identity of who her son was going to visit, perhaps the weekend of rape may not have taken place. Timothy Cavier is a troubled individual with his own demons and by no means do I condone his actions. Simply put, parents need to be more responsible and monitor the internet use of their children.