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By Kayla DeKraker
Tim Tebow wants parents to understand the scary reality of giving their children internet access: it’s not much different than letting them hang out with pedophiles.
“Every time a mom or a dad hands a cell phone or an iPad or a device to their boy or girl, it’s like dropping them off at a playground with hundreds of pedophiles walking around,” he told online child safety advocate Titania Jordan.
The former NFL star continued, “We hand them a device, and it looks and many times feels innocent, but what we’re not aware of is that there are thousands and thousands of people that their goal is to exploit, is to groom, is to lure, is to do something with an evil intent to that boy or girl.”
People in the comment section appreciated the hard truth.
“Such a good analogy!! You’d never drop your kids off at an unsafe playground, yet parents are so quick to hand over a device!” someone commented. Another wrote, “Thank you for your honesty and dedication to this epidemic targeting our children.”
Related: 71 Missing Kids Found, Thanks to Tim Tebow’s Foundation
Jordan helps lead Bark Technologies, which works to protect children from the dangers of the internet. They have multiple technologies that monitor children’s internet use and alert parents right away of any suspicious activity.
Online threats, predators and sextortion have become so common and concerning that even the FBI has given families information about what to look for.
“These crimes can lead victims to self-harm and has led to suicide,” the FBI warned in 2024. “From October 2021 to March 2023, the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations received over 13,000 reports of online financial sextortion of minors. The sextortion involved at least 12,600 victims — primarily boys — and led to at least 20 suicides.”
“We want parents and caregivers to be aware that predatory adults often pose as children online and attempt to engage children through popular social media and gaming platforms,” said FBI Special Agent Jeffrey B. Veltri of Miami.
He added, “If your child is targeted, tell them they are not in trouble and they are not alone. Block the predator, do not delete the profile or messages and contact law enforcement.”
It’s important that we stand up against child exploitation and protect our children. Recently, Tebow worked for the Renewed Hope Act to fight child exploitation. It passed earlier this month.
“My prayer is that hope is renewed for many more boys and girls, and that their stories will be different because of this legislation. When we come together, real change can happen —and this is just the beginning,” he wrote on Instagram.
Information like this is a good reminder that our children are better off away from the internet.
Read Next: Another State Sues Roblox: ‘Playground for Predators’
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