SPD’s Internet Crimes Against Children unit says reports of online predators are climbing sharply statewide.
SEATTLE — The cases almost never start with a crime: they start with a message.
A child meets someone in an online game. They talk about school, sports, or strategy tips. The conversation moves to a private chat. Then to a different app. Then to something more personal.
By the time parents realize what is happening, investigators say, the damage is often already done.
Last year, the Seattle Police Department received more than 20,000 reports of suspected online child exploitation.
Those reports flowed through Washington’s
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