By Michaela Gordoni
When it comes to children getting sexually exploited, parents are the ones who can do the most to prevent it, so Tim Tebow is asking moms and dads to be aware of the dangers.
“One of the best trackers of finding missing people is sharing stuff. He’s saying ‘This is how so many of the boys and girls are getting lured in.’ And it’s [online predators] are so good at their phrases and their sentences, and they use the same ones and they copy paste to all of these kids,” Tebow shared in a video this week. “They work in the same phrases and they build relationships.”
After one of The Tim Tebow Foundation’s Team Members’ went home, she asked her daughters if they had seen the phrases. They said they received messages with those phrases that day.
“It’s real and it’s terrifying and if you just think, ‘Oh, well it’s people with good intentions or it’s just the internet.’ No. There are people that are using that with a goal to do evil and they want to be able to get access to get in, to build a relationship for something that’s not a good reason,” the former NFL pro said. “I don’t want to be doom and gloom, but I just want to tell parents, please be the protector that you’re called to be.”
In the caption for the video, Tebow asked his viewers to comment “Renewed Hope Act” to lobby representatives to sponsor the act, which would provide more protection for kids who are sexually exploited.
Related: 71 Missing Kids Found, Thanks to Tim Tebow’s Foundation
Tebow’s recent initiative, Operation Renewed Hope III, has identified 386 missing kids. More than 100 have been safeguarded. The Foundation worked with the Department of Homeland security and international agencies, including Interpol.
“We are so grateful for all of the law enforcement agencies and partners that made this successful operation possible!” Tebow shared of the operation. “We are thankful for the opportunity to support this mission to bring more children to safety.”
Another point Tebow tries to get across to parents is, “If your child has a phone, the world has access to your child.”
Parents should take the utmost precaution when it comes to their kids’ safety on social media, video games, chats and anything that could jeopardize their mental and physical wellbeing. Parents also always need to be aware of where their kids are. Hopefully Tebow’s foundation will continue to make great strides in improving kids’ safety in the years to come.
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