HSI San Juan hosts iGuardians Summit in Fajardo
iGuardians informs about the threat of online child sexual exploitation and abuse.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Juan recently held the iGuardians Summit in Fajardo, an event focused on internet safety and child exploitation in Puerto Rico, in collaboration with the Department of Education and the Municipality of Fajardo
The 8th edition of the event, coinciding with child abuse prevention month, reached about 1,500 high school students from the Humacao educational region. iGuardians is designed to educate children, teens, parents and adults on the risks of online child sexual exploitation and abuse and provides guidance on prevention strategies and how to report suspected abuse to authorities.
“Online child exploitation is one of the most heinous crimes as it attacks some of the most vulnerable populations in society: our children,” said HSI San Juan Special Agent in Charge Rebecca González-Ramos.
“HSI San Juan has always prioritized allocating resources, designing programs and providing tools to parents, caregivers and students to prevent aggression by sexual predators who hide in digital spaces,” she added.
The event provided students with “tools to avoid being victims of harassment and/or abuse,” said César González-Cordero, Education’s safety commissioner. “The Department of Education and the Security Commissioner’s Office are dedicated to ongoing collaboration for the benefit of our students.”
Know2Protect is the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) national public awareness campaign to educate and empower children, teens, parents, adults and policymakers to prevent and address online child sexual exploitation and abuse. It also explains how to report online seduction and victimization and provides resources and support for victims and survivors.
Project iGuardian is the in-person educational branch of the Know2Protect, designed to inform the public about the threats children and teens face from online predators.
These presentations are based on HSI’s expertise, law enforcement perspective and authorities that have “led to successful investigations and prosecutions. In fiscal year 2023 in Puerto Rico, iGuardians offered nearly 100 presentations (in-person and virtual), impacting approximately 30,000 people,” the agency said.
