Kids spend more time online than ever, and for the most part it feels normal. They're gaming, watching videos, and chatting with friends. But hidden in those same spaces are adults who know how to pose as kids, build trust, and push conversations into dangerous territory. Parents might think it couldn't happen to their child, yet detectives see how quickly an "innocent" interaction can turn into grooming or extortion.

That's the world Detective Seth Cockerham works in every day. He's been in law enforcement in Texas for close to a decade, and the last few years have been dedicated to investigating crimes against children. He talks about these cases with both the eye of an investigator and the heart of a parent, because he knows what it's like to raise kids in a world where technology isn't going away.

Seth explains how predators move kids off kid-friendly apps into spaces parents can't easily monitor, what behaviors should make families pay attention, and why kids often keep things to themselves. He also shares what has worked in his own home like parental control tools, early conversations about boundaries, and making sure his daughters know they can come to him about anything. At the end of the day, his message is simple: if your child says something feels wrong, take it seriously.

Show Notes:

• [01:07] Seth explains his path into law enforcement and how he moved into child crime investigations.
• [02:24] Why drowning and neglect cases motivated him to take a deeper role in protecting kids.
• [04:05] The personal impact of working child abuse cases and balancing it as a parent.
• [05:30] How predators go where kids are online, from YouTube to gaming platforms with chat features.
• [07:00] Grooming tactics predators use, often pretending to be the same age to build trust.
• [07:40] Grooming can escalate in hours or take weeks, with predators moving kids to apps like Snapchat.
• [10:39] AI filters sometimes detect inappropriate content, but predators still find ways around it.
• [11:52] Behavioral changes are often the first signs kids are being exploited or manipulated online.
• [14:10] Why some kids go to police instead of parents and how Seth builds trust with families.
• [16:47] Most child abuse cases involve someone the child already knows; online cases are often strangers.
• [18:20] International predators make prosecutions harder, especially in sextortion cases.
• [21:08] Managing families' expectations when investigations take longer than TV shows portray.
• [23:55] Fastest time Seth has moved from a report to an arrest in an online case.
• [24:14] Common traits of perpetrators, often highly tech-savvy with strong knowledge of systems.
• [26:46] The parental control tools Seth uses at home, including the Bark phone for his kids.
• [29:30] How to reset boundaries with older kids and use resources like NetSmartz for education.
• [32:37] Seth's advice to kids: never send selfies to strangers, don't believe threats, tell a trusted adult.
• [33:39] His warning about sextortion: paying money never works, it only leads to more demands.
• [36:20] Resources for victims include counseling through advocacy centers and photo removal tools.
• [37:20] Seth's key takeaway: listen to your kids and take their concerns seriously.

Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review.

Links and Resources:

• Podcast Web Page
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• Bark
• National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
• NetSmartz