Sexual predators. Cyberbullying. Child pornography. Sexting.

With the risk of Internet crimes trending upward with advancing technology, the Freeborn County Crime Victims Crisis Center is hosting a presentation Thursday to teach parents, middle school and high school students, and other interested community members how to keep themselves and their families safe.

The presentation will be given by Albert Lea Police Department detective Frank Kohl from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Health Reach. In the presentation, Kohl will explain areas of concern on the Internet and give tips to parents and kids alike about how to avoid potential problems.

Attendees will have the chance to ask questions throughout.

“Kids are introduced to technology very young, so we need to introduce them to using it safely very young,” said Ilene Grosam with the Crime Victims Crisis Center. “Hopefully by the time they’re teenagers, they will know what’s right and wrong.”

What: Internet safety presentation

Where: HealthReach, 1705 S. Broadway Ave., Albert Lea

When: 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday

Who: middle school and high school students, parents, other adults

Kohl said one of the biggest problems right now with the younger generations is sexting — or sending sexually explicit messages or photographs primarily between two cell phones.

“Once they do that, it basically goes out on the network,” he said. “You can send it to 100 people in less than a second. With everything that’s available, kids need to realize there’s consequences to doing this.”

While the message may initially go out to one person, that person has the capability of sending it to hundreds or even thousands if he or she chooses to, thus leading to a snowball effect.

“Maybe they don’t see it today, but it could wreak havoc on their lives for years and years to come,” Kohl said.

He said parents and kids need to understand that what is put on the Internet stays there and is accessible to others.

Parents, most importantly, need to make sure they know what’s going on with their kids, he noted.

Kids who sext could also potentially face charges including manufacturing of child pornography and dissemination of child pornography, among others — all of which are felonies.

Charges like that can have life-threatening consequences later on in life, Kohl said.

“The more people who hear this, the safer our kids are going to be,” he said.