Ranked among the top ten deadliest mass shootings in U.S. history, the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting on Valentine’s Day of this year shook parents and students to the core. Working just twelve miles from the site, Bridgeport’s Lee Gibson not only mourned the loss of seventeen lives, but also was reminded of why his mission to educate others about internet safety is something that must continue.

 

Gibson has extensive professional experience in internet crimes. Through his work with the Wayne County Sherriff’s Department in Detroit, Michigan, he handled cases involving crimes against children and was trained in digital forensics.  He has spent the better part of two decades educating others, including law enforcement, about the digital forensics, which includes the recovery and investigation of material found in digital devices.  When details about the Stoneman Douglas shooter emerged, Gibson noticed the many indicators of his mental state both online and offline.  

 

“I knew I could not sit back and do nothing.  I may not stop all the bad stuff from happening around me, but if I can get through to one kid, or save one kid, then it is all worth it,” said Gibson.

After offering free presentations around the country and locally, Gibson saw a need to dive more deeply into the issue.  Law enforcement was spending a lot of manpower to track questionable sites students were visiting and parents were overwhelmed with the depth of the technology that had access to their children’s devices. 

 

“Many parents are unaware that some of the apps and software even exist and most don’t know how to check into the deeper areas,” said Gibson. “If kids don’t communicate, parents often don’t know about their depression, suicidal thoughts or if they are being bullied.  Kids often use anonymity to send and receive questionable messages and images and the average parent doesn’t know how to check deleted information.”

 

Gibson has started a GoFundMe page to raise funds to buy the necessary software and equipment to run the software necessary to dive more deeply into the devices.  He wants to bridge the technological gap that can hurt kids and to show parent and children the hidden dangers in seemingly innocent sites.

 

To demonstrate the importance of the issue, he worked with local lawyer, Jami Cooper.  She requested Gibson talk to her son and a group of his friends, who were in sixth grade at the time.  He created a fictitious account to follow Bridgeport kids’ social media account and got approval from 400 kids in three days to see their information, most voluntarily accepting his requests.  

 

With that information, he developed a free internet safety presentation and presented it with Jami Cooper and Shawn Morgan to small groups of students to raise awareness of the safety issues. 

 

“The problem is not one that is only affecting urban areas,” said Gibson.  “It affects families right here in Bridgeport and many parents are seeing the importance of internet safety beyond the usual ‘Don’t talk to strangers’ mentality.  The GoFundME page would allow me to buy the equipment and software needed without having to charge parents astronomical rates to dive deeply into their children’s devices.”

 

Gibson’s vision is to offer the service locally as well as elsewhere.  The $17,000 he is raising on the GoFundMe page will allow him to purchase equipment and software needed to find sources of dangers buried deeply on the devices through such common activities as downloading music and using apps. A typical fee for a phone extraction can run around $1500, but after Gibson meets his GoFundMe goal, he will be able to offer the service for a nominal fee.

 

“I have had a hole in my heart searching for a way to help children and their parents,” said Gibson. “The helpless feeling after the Parkland shooting served as an impetus to start providing this service.  The conversation must start in order to help our children make the right choices and see the real dangers.  It happens everywhere, even in Bridgeport, and I want to do what I can to make people aware of the potential dangers affecting their children.”

 

To donate to Gibson’s cause, please visit gofundme.com and search for Internet Safety for Parents organized by Lee Gibson.