Washington, DC - U.S. Rep. Edolphus “Ed” Towns will hold a Town Hall Meeting to review and discuss the impact and available resources for victims of cybercrime, including fraud, identity theft, and the sexual solicitation of children over the internet. Joining Rep. Towns is Kings County District Attorney Charles J. Hynes and prosecutors from his Cyber Crimes Unit, who will be on hand to discuss the increasing incidents of cybercrime and provide valuable information that will aid consumers in enacting important safeguards.

Date:              Monday, June 2, 2008
Time:              7:00 P.M.
Place:             Pratt Institute
                      Higgins Hall
                      61 St. James Place

Background:

Although computers and the Internet have increased our access to information and created various levels of conveniences, it has also made such acts as identity theft and child sexual solicitation easier for predators.  Pedophiles and sexual predators live and roam in cyberspace, preying on vulnerable and unsuspecting victims. Cybercrime is vast and includes such acts as downloading illegal music files, gaining unauthorized access to computer files, distributing and creating child pornography, embezzling money from online bank accounts, and stealing an individual’s identity. Due to the low costs associated with committing cybercrimes and the difficulties in detecting the geographical location of offender(s), the need to understand and protect oneself from cybercrime has become increasingly important.

At the Town Hall Meeting, some of the topics that will be discussed include: cyber-bullying, children victimization, the dangers of file sharing, social networking sites, software filtering and monitoring programs, available resources, and information about who to contact if you are a victim of cybercrime.

###

Return to Congressman Towns' website