Catching online predators before they catch your kids

TULSA, Okla. (KTUL) — It's a problem so pervasive it took just one month for law enforcement officials to round up 19 alleged perpetrators of sex crimes against children.

"These defendants used social media, they used the internet, they used other means of electronic communication to reach out and engage with victims," said U.S. Attorney Trent Shores.

'Have you yourself posed as a 13, 14-year-old girl?' we asked Jason Weis. "Yeah, that was what I did, that was my job," he said.

The former detective founded The Demand Project with his wife to specifically go after online predators.

"As parents, you can not rely on law enforcement. This has to start at home, cause it's 19 men now but trust me there's more waiting in the shadows to pounce and steal innocence from children," he said.

"I encourage parents to know what apps your child is using," said Shores.

Some of those apps to watch out for according to Weis...

"One of them's called Skout, another one is called Whisper, and then Kik," said Weis.

It's through apps like these, he says, that perpetrators weave their way into your child's life.

"Grooming is the number one tactic and it thrives in secrecy," he said.

For example, on one occasion when Weis was posing as a child, a perpetrator texted, 'What would you want to do if we were alone right now?'

"They're always pushing the line, they're always pushing that boundary, trying to desensitize that child and manipulate," he said.

"What we see is that these predators time and time again exploit children who are on the internet. They entice them, they befriend them and then they victimize them,' said Shores.

Nineteen down but not even scratching the surface, with a stern warning to parents, educate and communicate with your children.

"You have to create a culture in your own home to where a child can come to you if there is an issue," said Weis.