Sandy Springs Detective Shows How Easily Predators Reach Kids Online

On Tuesday, Sandy Springs Police Det. Elizabeth Concepcion demonstrated to a Citizens Police Academy class how quick and easy it is to connect with predators online.

Concepcion shared her email exchanged with “Chuck.” He apparently believed that he was communicating with an 11-year-old child.

In fewer than 10 seconds, Chuck discussed male body parts.

Then Chuck asked, “Has Mom told you about sex?”

Posing as an 11-year-old, Concepcion replied, “I mean like yeah?”

Chuck continued with sexually suggestive questions. Soon afterwards he inquired about video cams and asked if she would like to watch him “unzip” on video. He then showed his video.

“Oh hey, I see you,” Concepcion said.

“Are you home alone,” Chuck asked.

Concepcion has worked on internet crimes for three years. She explained to the class, “I just went in and went into a main chat room [on a parenting site] and said, ‘Hi’ and Chuck sent me a personalized message.”

“Usually it will progress from this into more and more conversation. We would get to know each other,” she said. “[If he were out of state,] I would probably end up talking to the person on the phone and maybe getting them to drive here…”

At that point the detective would arrest him.   

“It just depends on the progression of the case. If they start sending me child pornography then I will arrest them for the distribution of child pornography,” she said.

Just over two weeks ago, Hans J. Gyllstrom, a registered sex offender, was arrested when Fulton County Probation officers found child pornography in his apartment on Hilderbrand Drive.

Registered sex offenders’ Fourth Amendment rights are waived, which allows law enforcement to show up at their homes, at any time.

“...Law enforcement went to check that he was following the guidelines for his probation; obviously he was not, and he is sitting in Fulton County jail right now,” said Concepcion, who is handling the case.

There are female offenders too, who use their young daughters as bait to lure men into their lives.

“These women usually have a history of sexual abuse in their past. Victims under six years old are usually related to their female offenders,” Concepcion said. 

When it’s all said and done, parents must communicate and educate their children, a female officer said. 

Talk to your children at every age and at every stage,” the officer added.

It's repititve but necessary, she said, suggesting parents have a checklist so children's first instincts will be to break free in any situation.

"What do you do from the internet to the street…Kick, fight, scream. If you embed it in their mind, they are going to hear it when you are not there,” the officer said.

For more information on ways to protect your children, these websites were recommended by Det. Concepcion:  www.netsmarts.org and www.nsteens.org.