BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — A Duarte man was arrested on suspicion of arranging to meet a 16-year-old minor for a lewd purpose.
The man connected with the minor through an online chat platform called Monkey, according to Bakersfield police.
The suspect, Romulus Chan Reynera of Duarte, in Los Angeles County, faces charges related to arranging and meeting with a minor online for a lewd purpose.
In response, local advocates are urging parents to take extra precautions when it comes to children's online activity.
Ilene Perra with Open Door Network said:
"There's parental controls on some cell phone devices where it limits a child's access to the internet and what they can or cannot download."
According to internetmatters.org, nearly 45% of children between the ages of 7 and 18 report seeing inappropriate content online.
A separate study found that more than 6 in 10 children interact with unknown users online every day.
Perra said:
"Communicating with their children even at an early age and it feels very uncomfortable. That way they know what a stranger is online."
Bakersfield police also encourage parents to remind children to speak with a trusted adult if they encounter sexual or inappropriate content online.
If you believe a child is in danger of online exploitation, call 911 immediately and report it to the National Cyber Tip Online.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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