The social media application “kik” is just one of many that Baker hi-lighted during his presentation. He said parent’s should delete the application, which allows their children to connect with potential predators across the country. (Photo by Erika Wurst / for Chronicle Media)

On Thursday, Aug. 25 evening inside a small gym at the Fox Valley Family YMCA in Plano, Chris Baker stared into the eyes of more than a dozen teens and gave a disclaimer.

“You’re probably going to walk out of here tonight a little scared,” he told them. “My intent is not to scare you and make you delete every application on your phone. I just want you to be aware of what we’re seeing.”

Baker, who specializes in gangs and sex trafficking, is a self-proclaimed expert on social media safety. He was invited by Kendall County Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children (CASA) to speak with local teens and parents about the dangers that lurk online.

“Our goal is not to make you fear social media, but just to think a little more clearly when you’re using it to keep you and your family and friends safe,” he said. “(Danger) is much closer to home than we all want to believe. I think a lot of times we feel like we have this safety bubble being out here in the suburbs. But, Oswego, Plano, Yorkville, we’re not immune to the ugliness of the world and we’re seeing it creep out here all the time.”

In fact, Baker didn’t need to look far for examples to highlight his belief.

Hours before the group of parents, teachers and children gathered, Oswego Police announced the arrest of a 55-year-old Oswego man on sexual abuse charges. His victim was a 16-year-old girl.

Daniel Tondu, 200 block of Bluegrass Parkway,  has been charged with two counts of felony aggravated criminal sexual abuse, two counts of felony attempted criminal sexual abuse, two counts of felony solicitation of a child and one count of felony grooming.

The arrest concluded a three-month investigation that began in May after the teen reported that sexual contact had occurred between Tondu and herself at his Oswego home.

According to police, the girl’s parents reported that Tondu had exchanged several text messages of a sexual nature with their daughter, and that over time, Tondu allegedly solicited the teen to perform sex acts with him.

A warrant for Tondu’s arrest was issued on Aug. 24 and bail was set at $100,000. Tondu turned himself into police the following day and was released after posting bail.

Jennifer Gilbert, who is the executive director of Kendall County CASA, said it is important to remember that our children are not immune to predators, on or offline.

It’s Gilbert’s job to represent children who have been victims of assault, abuse, or have had provocative photos of them distributed on social media platforms. Many times these situations arise as a result of unsafe social media behavior, she said.

“I have sat with so many moms while their daughters are getting interviewed for assault or for having their photos distributed,” Gilbert said. “They all say, ‘I never thought my child would do this. I raised her better.’ But, it has nothing to do with how well you raised your child. They’re kids. They make mistakes. Just don’t fall into the trap that ‘my kid wouldn’t do that.’ The people sitting in this room are what these (victims) look like and who they are.”

To better educate parents and teens alike about the potential dangers of social media and the Internet, Bakers highlighted several applications that predators use to target their victims.

Facebook, Twitter, Kik, Snapchat and ooVoo, are five especially dangerous apps that parents need to look out for, he said.

He called Twitter a “cyberbully playground and a hotbed of pornography.”

And Kik, which is a private messenger application that connects users with people throughout the world, well, it’s no better than Twitter, Baker said.

“I hate Kik. Delete Kik,” he told parents after several teens raised their hands and acknowledged they use the social media platform.

Mothers cautiously looked at their children with wide eyes, unaware of the potential harm lurking behind an application they allowed their kids to download.

“Start by going through their cell phones and asking what the apps are. Delete anything that’s not needed,” Baker said. “If you are okay with your kids having social media accounts have their user names and passwords. I tell my kids, ‘We stalk you because we care.’ It’s not that we don’t trust them. It’s that we don’t trust other people.”

It was a message that Peaceful Pathways Montessori School teacher Becky Hauert hoped to drive home to her seventh through ninth grade students who she encouraged to attend Thursday night’s event.

For class, Hauert tasked her students with creating a public service announcement about a topic they are passionate about, and when they chose online safety, she knew she needed to get them to the CASA-sponsored event.

She said it’s important for teens to be having these conversations at home and at school.

“They’re starting to get phones at 10-years-old, so when they come to me they already have them,” she said. “I ask the kids what applications they’re using and they pretty much tell me everything. We’re a small community and they’re comfortable sharing.”

As a result, Hauert  has tried to keep up with the new trends.

“We’re always dialoguing,” she said. “It takes a village to raise kids. Parents can’t check everything. Kids talk to different adults for different purposes and I’m happy to be here if they come to me (with issues arising online).”

Gilbert considers herself an open door as well, someone teens can trust to come to with concerns. And, she wants them to know one important thing.

“If you get something on your phone that’s inappropriate, you haven’t done anything wrong for receiving it,” she said. “Kids live in fear of being in trouble or being judged. Know that no one is going to judge you. No one is angry. If it happens, go to an adult. Kids get scared and tend to go to their friends instead, and that’s when this becomes a huge issue.”

Baker hosts monthly social media safety seminars at his Oswego tattoo shop, INK180. For more information, about the classes visit www.Ink180.com.

— Parents, teens hear tough talk on social media dangers —