Three safety presentations planned in honor of slain St. John teen

Posted on by Vaseline

Three presentations will be held in October for students, parents and guardians on online safety procedures and warnings

The Tristyn Bailey family, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations are hosting three online safety presentations for high school students, parents and guardians.

The first presentation will take place on Thursday, October 10 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Pedro Menendez High School in St. Augustine. The second will take place on Thursday, October 17 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM at St. Augustine’s Tocoi Creek High School, and the final presentation will be held at Bartram Trail High School on Thursday, October 24 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM.

Presentations include safety protocols within HSI’s Project iGuardian curriculum, SJSO female self-defense instructors’ overview of Women Against Violent Encounters, and a panel discussion with HSI Special Agents, SJSO detectives and the Bailey family.

Topics also include tactics used by adult predators online; the growing trends in sextortion; information detected from external devices; along with apps, online games and social networks used by children. Scenarios based on local studies of online child victimization will also be assessed.

According to the HSI website, Project iGuardian, the official personal education arm of the Know2Protect campaign, focuses on protecting children and teens from online predators through education and awareness.

According to its website, Know2Protect is a Department of Homeland Security national awareness campaign used to educate and empower children, teens, parents, trusted adults and policymakers to:

  • Prevent and combat online sexual exploitation and abuse of children.
  • Explain how to report online temptation and victimization.
  • Provide resources for victims and survivors and their supporters.

“The project is an outreach effort to share information about the dangers of online environments, how to stay safe online and how to report abuse and suspicious activity,” the department said. “In addition, the iGuardians team is here to help kids stay safe online by providing safety tips, a number to call and a website with links to more information and resources. Project iGuardian helps kids, teens and parents get smarter about online safety and stay safe from online sexual predators.”

On Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 9, 2021, Bailey, a seventh grader who attended Patriot Oaks Academy in St. Johns County, was reported missing by her family. Hours later, the 13-year-old was found dead in the woods east of the cul-de-sac on Saddlestone Drive. The cheerleader had been stabbed 114 times from a downward angle. At least 49 of her wounds were categorized as defensive.

A Sheriff’s Office diver found a Buck brand pocket knife with the tip missing in a large pond near the Saddlestone cul-de-sac, about 150 feet from where the teen’s body was found. The tip of the knife was later removed from Bailey’s scalp.

The knife sheath was among several pieces of evidence later found in the bedroom of Aiden Fucci, a 14-year-old classmate who was the last person seen with Bailey the night she disappeared. Fucci was eventually arrested on charges of first-degree murder in Bailey’s death.

In March 2023, Fucci was sentenced by a judge to life in prison for first-degree murder. R. Lee Smith in a St. Augustine courtroom.

Forrest Bailey, Tristyn’s father, expressed gratitude to HSI and the SJSO for the presentations on the “very present but under-discussed dangers of social media.”

“I hope our teens and adults who have children or work closely with children can attend one of these sessions across the province to understand how criminals monitor our children into their homes,” he said in a statement to The St. Augustine Record .

Due to the adult subject matter of the presentation, parental discretion is advised for younger children.

If you believe someone is a victim of child sexual exploitation, call the Know2Protect tip line at 833-591-KNOW. Information received through the tip line is reviewed by appropriate personnel and referred to HSI field offices for possible investigation. You can also call 800-843-5678 or file a CyberTipline report with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Avatar for Vaseline
Vaseline https://newspowergreen.biz.id

You May Also Like

More From Author