Cybersecurity specialist urges parents to stay vigilant as kids face online threats  

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) -- An online safety seminar at the East Hills Library brought parents together to talk about one big topic—how to protect kids online.  

The session, held from 6 to 7:30 p.m., focused on what signs to look for when a child’s behavior suddenly shifts, what types of games attract online predators and how parents can stay ahead of potential dangers.  

Cybersecurity Specialist Byron Gorman said over 9,000 predators are active on Roblox, an online platform and game-creation system primarily used by the youth, and stressed that his job is to make sure families know what their kids might be exposed to.  

"Australia banned their youth. Anybody under 16 can no longer be on social media. It is good in some respects, but in other respects it's not,” Gorman said.  

He urged parents to take the time to really assess what’s going on if their child seems upset or withdrawn—especially when it comes to cyberbullying.  

One of his biggest pieces of advice, according to him, is to create a safe space for kids to open up.  

“Never make your child feel as though they're going to get in trouble if they tell you. So if a child comes, most of the time, they're scared because the parent wants to take their device away. We don't want to do that,” Gorman said.  

Gorman told parents to take three steps if something happens: make sure the child feels safe, record what’s going on and then report it to authorities so legal action can be taken if necessary.  

“Technology is so fluid right now. Everybody's connected. There's nothing we do on a daily basis that we're not connected to technology,” Gorman said.  

Gorman said his mission is to help protect anyone who spends time online—and to make navigating the digital world safer for kids and teens.