Boyden-Hull hosted parents last month at an event called Empowering Parents in the Digital World to inform parents of pornography and child exploitation crimes among junior-high and high school students.
The event featured the speakers Reverend Aaron Baart and Social Work Professor Tara Boer to inform parents about pornography, minor exploitation, and new Iowa laws aimed at combatting the issues.
Reverend Baart discussed the importance of combatting pornography in schools, especially in junior high and high school. According to the American College of Pediatricians, most teens first experienced pornography by the time they were 13 years old.
Professor Boer described how parents can keep their kids away from adult materials and said that any kids who are struggling with it can safely come to her for help. School Resource Officer Deputy Jerod Harmelink spoke on his experience enforcing Iowa laws, especially regarding the exploitation of a minor.
New Iowa laws were passed so people who are convicted of exploitation of a minor are charged for each instance separately, which could drastically increase the fines and prison sentence. Another new law also creates a 3-strike system, making harsher punishments for repeat offenders.
Deputy Harmelink laid out that he acts undercover to catch people attempting to commit pornography and exploitation crimes. This sometimes includes creating a fake social media account and posing as a young girl to catch people.
On June 1, Governor Kim Reynolds signed a bill into law forcing adult websites to require proper ID to ensure the user is 18 years old. The law will go into effect this year on July 1. The Empowering Parents in the Digital World event was shown to the students to help inform them and offer help if anyone is struggling with pornography or related issues.
