Youth safety forums scheduled across Volusia County.

Written by Kristen Schmutz

Belden Communications News

Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood has announced a crucial initiative to safeguard children from online predators and other potential dangers through a series of community meetings to provide parents, grandparents, and guardians with essential knowledge and tools to protect their kids in the digital age.

Hosted by the Volusia County Sheriff's Office, the gatherings will feature experts from the Sheriff's Office and the Florida Department of Children and Families, offering valuable insights and advice. These community meetings will not only focus on online predators but and delve into the pressing issue of human trafficking while allowing attendees the opportunity to participate in Q&A sessions and engage in discussions aimed at raising awareness about the facts surrounding human trafficking.

The meetings are scheduled as follows, and each event runs from 6 to 7:30 p.m.:

• Monday, July 31: First NSB – A Family Church, 200 Faulkner St., New Smyrna Beach
• Monday, August 7: Tomoka Christian Church,1101 E. Plymouth Ave., DeLand
• Wednesday, August 9: Deltona City Hall, 2345 Providence Blvd., Deltona
• Monday, August 28: DeBary City Hall, 16 Colomba Road, DeBary
• Tuesday, August 29: Mission San Jose of Saint Peter, 165 Emporia Road, Pierson

"With the ever-increasing amount of time kids spend online, parents and guardians must be aware of the potential risks lurking in cyberspace," said Sheriff Chitwood. "Home is where your kids' safety begins, and we want every family to be equipped with the knowledge and tools to protect them from the predators who exploit popular apps used by children every day."

According to the Sheriff's Office, the series of meetings was sparked by the recent arrest of a 29-year-old Cocoa Beach man who traveled to Deltona for sex with a 12-year-old girl he met on the Wink app and frequently messaged on Instagram. Another noteworthy case in Volusia County was the February 2021 arrest of a 22-year-old Orlando man found in a motel room with a missing 13-year-old girl he met via Snapchat.

The Volusia Sheriff’s Office has conducted several proactive predator sting operations including Operation Indecent Proposal, Operation Unlawful Attraction, Operation Deviant Desire, Operation Illicit Solicit, and Operation Cyber Scumbag, as well as routine operations to check and enforce sexual offender and predator registration requirements. Additionally, routine operations are carried out to monitor and enforce sexual offender and predator registration requirements.