Millions of Friends to get AMBER Alerts on Facebook

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Facebook will now distribute AMBER Alerts to 140 million users in the U.S.  The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the Office of Justice Programs announced the new partnership at the Washington, D.C. office of Facebook. It gives law enforcement a new tool to quickly spread the word about kidnappings and missing children to more people than ever across the entire country. Click here to watch the news conference

AMBER Alerts also go out to broadcast and print media, the trucking industry, wireless phone companies and Internet service providers.  The AMBER Alert program has helped rescued 525 children over the years.

Red Flags Point to Heaping Trouble for Teen School Shooter

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New details are coming out about the 17-year-old high school senior who shot his principal and vice-principal yesterday in Omaha. A number of red flags apparently point to trouble brewing in Robert Butler, Jr.'s life, beginning with his transfer to a large city high school.  He had recently moved in with his father, an Omaha police officer, after living for years with his mother, according to the Omaha World-Herald.  Butler was unhappy with the move and struggled to find a place in his new school. A sequence of events yesterday morning led to the shooting.

Facebook Bullies Arrested After Victim Hunts Them Down

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When Ally Pfeiffer saw a Facebook page under her own name that made hateful and harassing comments about her weight and appearance, she cried.  But not for long.  The 18-year old college student decided to find out who was impersonating her online and who set up the phony Facebook account using a cow in place of her picture. Ally tells WFSB-TV how she tracked the IP address and discovered two of her high school friends were behind the brutal prank.  She turned the information over to police in Bristol, CT.  They arrested two University of Connecticut students, Jeffrey Martone and Sarah Johnson who now face criminal charges. The Bristol Press reports on the simple steps Ally took to solve the crime. The suspects used a fake Gmail account created in her name.  She clicked on “Forgot Password,” guessed the answer to the security questions, opened the email and Facebook accounts, and changed the passwords.   Then she used a free IP address tracker. Ally talked about her ordeal on the Today Show.

Facebook Application Targets Cyberbullying

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A new “Find Help” application on Facebook may make it easier for teens to not only report cyberbullying but also to find support organizations. Mashable.com reports that a company called SafetyWeb.com,has introduced the new app to address growing concerns about teen safety on the social networking site. According to CBC news, the “Find Help” application is similar to an online list of emergency phone numbers. When a child clicks on the application, he or she is directed to phone numbers and links for reporting incidents. This also sends kids to organizations like the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s CyberTipline, the National Suicide Prevention Hotline and Facebook’s abuse reporting process. Since 2003 there have been at least 12 teenagers who commited suicide because they had been bullied online.

How Social Media Can Help or Hurt in Court

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Teens have been warned that what they post on Facebook, Myspace and other social websites can affect their chances at getting into college or landing a job. Now, judges and attorneys are using these online profiles in court, which could hurt or help. Criminal defense lawyers sometimes consider reviewing social pages as important as reviewing medical and school records and other background information, according to the New York Law Journal. Teens often post pictures of their wild exploits and share information through posts and comments. This kind of personal disclosure can undermine statements they make in court and lead to a longer sentence.

Teens Turn in Classmate for Facebook Threats

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A Paulding County teenager faces three felony charges of making terroristic threats, plus one count of disrupting a public school, after police say he posted threats against three classmates on Facebook. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, other teenagers read the threats late Wednesday, told their parents, and called the Sheriff’s Department. WXIA TV reports deputies were searching for the 16 year old boy at North Paulding High School as buses were arriving Thursday morning. The teen turned himself in at the Sheriff’s office.  He will be held at a youth detention center until Monday, when he faces a hearing in juvenile court. While some people use Facebook as an outlet to blow off steam, threats are keeping police busy around the world right now.

Former D.A. Educating ‘Ignorant’ Teens About Law

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J.Tom Morgan has a lot of Facebook friends – more than 4,000 actually. Just about all of them are teenagers peppering him with questions about Georgia law. They want to know their rights and how to avoid getting into serious trouble. And the former longtime DeKalb County District Attorney is more than happy to let them know. Morgan has sold more than 27,000 copies of Ignorance Is No Defense, A Teenager’s Guide to Georgia Law, a self-published book that he speaks about at schools, community centers and just about everywhere else anyone will listen, in hopes of educating young people and their parents about Georgia law.

Summit warns teens of texting and online dangers

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Teens who are involved in sexting and posting lewd comments on social networks risk getting arrested.  That warning came from John Walsh, television host of America’s Most Wanted, and James Andrews of Everywhere, at the National Teen Summit on Internet Safety.  The Summit, sponsored by Cox Communications, enlisted teens from around the nation on Tuesday morning.  Walsh reminded teens of the dangers of social networking sites and cell phones and how to avoid legal issues.  Andrews is a social media expert who recommends that teens use privacy settings on Facebook, just like their favorite celebrities do. Watch the Summit below: