With a Background Check for Everyone, We Can Protect Our Children

John Walsh of America's Most Wanted appeared on CNN today in connection with a sensationally successful Operation Orange Tree in the State of Florida. While orange trees are the state's main natural resource, children are even more precious. The operation is Florida's first mass statewide effort in the seizure of child pornographers. As a result, dozens of computers with hard drives overflowing with child porn were seized, and 77 men accused of its downloading and distribution.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) is now armed with brand-new secret software. It's so secret they won't say much more about it, and so powerful pedophiles will never sleep well again. The amazing new technology can quickly identify wireless routers and illegal files on the Internet, and traces the computer to the owner's front door.

That's exactly what they did in Florida. The majority of the children portrayed in the seized files have been identified and rescued. It's only a matter of time before other states follow suit and sweep child predators off the cyber-streets. However, as parents we can't afford to wait. The schools and other child-focused organizations make sure every individual on premises has passed a background check. We can do the same.

Have you investigated every private nanny or teacher you've hired for your children? Are you positive every one of those people has a clean past? Then what's the harm in doing one online, just in case? Find out who the friends are your teens talk to on MySpace - they may not be very friendly, or even who they say they are. What about your neighbors? Your children often have sleepovers with their children. Will they or their parents pass a background check? It's simple, inexpensive, fast and may - and often does - protect children and even save lives. Run a quick background check on everyone who could possibly harm your children; they will thank you for it.