Most FBI agents would never know that "POS" means Parent Over Shoulder, but that's the kind of cyber-speak that girls use every day! Operation Innocent Images is a program that helps the FBI catch criminals by teaching them what only real girls would know.
Here's how it works: FBI agents pose as girls on the Internet to find criminals who are searching for pictures of underage children and/or trying to create relationships with them. It's called a "sting operation," because it involves careful participation by undercover agents.
But going undercover requires some pretty special training, and that's where the girls come in! Girls actually train the FBI investigators to speak the cyber language that is used in chat rooms and message boards. They also teach the agents pretty much everything there is to know about a modern girl's life-- what music they listen to, what clothes they wear, and other popular topics like celebrities, TV shows, and movies.
After the agents complete their "real girl" training, they create identities of girls with different hobbies, ages, backgrounds, etc. and go undercover in chat rooms and IM (instant message) environments. They wait until they are approached by someone and then they chat or IM with them. If the person has a profile that says he is an adult, or he admits to being one, then the FBI agent pursues the exchange.
Often, the suspect wants to meet with the girl (or the undercover agent posing as a girl). At this point the FBI sets up the last part of the sting and chooses an ordinary-seeming place that they surround with agents. When the offender arrives, the agents make an arrest. Thanks to girls like you, the FBI is learning what it takes to put these internet predators behind bars!
What's Next?
• Protect yourself when you're online. Read our safety tips!
