HARRISBURG – Attorney General Kathleen G. Kane announced that a Pennsylvania child has been identified as one of the victims in a Texas man’s child pornography collection that he allegedly amassed by threatening children across the United States and internationally into sending him naked photos of themselves through Facebook.
The Montgomery County (Texas) Internet Crimes Against Children Division last month arrested Timothy Jerome Alcala of Conroe, Texas and has been working to find Alcala’s victims, who so far have been identified in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Australia.
Agents from the Attorney General’s Child Predator Section identified a child victim in Pennsylvania, and cautioned there could be others.
“We are working to determine if more Pennsylvania children were victims of this predator,” said Kane.
Kane said education is key to staying one step ahead of child predators who use aliases and phony photos to engage children and trick them into thinking they have made a friend they can trust. She urged parents to speak to their children about Internet safety early when they begin using it.
Alcala allegedly used these Facebook aliases: Steven Wilson, Scott Williams, Vince Evans, Beth Dahl, Amber Dahl and Nick Wallace. Anyone who suspects or is aware of improper contact between minors and these aliases should call the Child Predator Section’s toll-free helpline at 1-800-385-1044.
“Predators troll for children online because they don’t think anyone is watching. We are watching. Parents can watch too. If you see any suspicious online activity involving your child, report it to my office immediately,” Kane said.
She said knowing your child’s password and routinely monitoring online activity on every device your child uses can protect them from predators. To assist parents with understanding social media, popular apps and websites, the Office of Attorney General’s “Know Your Child’s Password” presentation is available atwww.attorneygeneral.gov.
Anonymous tips about suspected child predators can be reported by texting PAKIDS + YOUR TIP to 847411 or through an online complaint form.
Schools interested in the “Know Your Child’s Password” presentation should contact 1-800-525-7642 oreducation@attorneygeneral.gov. The OAG has delivered 631 of the presentations so far this year.
