August 8, 2025

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — As the summer draws to a close and students across Arkansas prepare to return to the classroom, Arkansas State Police (ASP) reminds parents, guardians, and educators to remain vigilant in protecting children from online predators.

Since January of 2024, ASP has issued 10 Amber Alerts and 27 Missing/Endangered Advisories for missing children and teens, several of whom were lured away by individuals they met through online messaging apps. Two of these Amber Alerts and 13 of the Missing/Endangered Advisories were issued in this year alone. The Arkansas AMBER Alert System, coordinated by ASP, works closely with local law enforcement agencies to issue statewide alerts when a child is abducted and in imminent danger. These incidents underscore the increasing threat predators pose by taking advantage of children and teenagers who spend time online.

“We all have a role in protecting Arkansas’ children,” said Major Stacie Rhoads, Commander of the ASP Criminal Investigation Division. “Parents, teachers, and community members must stay informed and proactive as new digital threats emerge. The internet can offer a sense of anonymity that allows people to hide their identity or pretend to be someone else. They may try to engage in inappropriate conversations or even suggest meeting in person. They might send explicit content or ask children to share personal pictures. It is so important for us to talk to our children about these risks and help them understand how to stay safe online.”

ASP offers the following recommendations to keep children safe online:

• Talk to children and teens about the dangers of interacting with strangers online.
• Monitor and educate them about not sharing personal or explicit information over messaging apps or social media.
• Access free resources and tools for preventing child exploitation through the Arkansas Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ARICAC) at aricac.org.
• Schools and community groups can request online safety presentations through the ARICAC website.
• Report any suspicious online activity or suspected exploitation to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678).

For more information or to request an online safety presentation, visit aricac.org.