Local law enforcement officers discuss threat of online predators

Parents and community members recently gathered at the Plains School Library to hear Sanders County Sheriff's Office Detective April Phillips and Plains Police Sergeant Rob Geenen discuss the growing threat of online predators and the risks children face in today's digital world.

Phillips and Geenen are members of Montana's Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and have received extensive training in identifying and apprehending online predators.

Phillips joined the task force in May 2024.

"This is something you have to want to do," Phillips said. "These kinds of crimes are horrific because of the things you have to see."

Geenen recently completed onboard training and now works alongside Phillips to educate children and parents throughout Sanders County about online threats. Onboard training provides specialized instruction for law enforcement officers, forensic examiners, and prosecutors when they join the ICAC program.

Montana has experienced a significant increase in reports and investigations involving online crimes against children over the past decade. Many reports of suspected child exploitation originate from social media platforms. Major U.S.-based platforms submit reports to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which forwards actionable reports, known as cyber tips, to law enforcement agencies for investigation.

According to data from the Montana Department of Justice, cyber tips involving child sexual abuse material and related online exploitation increased from 798 in 2021 to approximately 2,640 in 2024, an increase of roughly 230% in four years.

The upward trend has continued. Montana's ICAC program received 3,542 cyber tips between June 1, 2025, and May 31, 2026, indicating continued growth in reported cases of online child exploitation.

Among the crimes investigators are seeing more frequently are online enticement and grooming of minors, as well as sextortion, a crime in which offenders use or threaten to release explicit images to coerce, manipulate, or extort victims.

Investigators also warned that criminals are increasingly using artificial intelligence technology to create exploitative images of children. The growing use of AI-generated child exploitation material prompted Montana lawmakers to pass legislation in 2025 making the creation and distribution of such material a crime.

Phillips said the social media platform TikTok is currently one of the platforms most frequently used by child predators to target young victims.

She referenced a case she helped investigate last year involving a Sanders County minor. The investigation began with a cyber tip received through Snapchat. The offender, a 41-year-old Washington state resident, was later arrested and charged in federal court in March 2025.

Phillips regularly uses social media as an investigative tool to identify offenders and locate potential victims. When victims or offenders are identified locally, she contacts parents directly.

"It's a horrible phone call to make when a child has sent an inappropriate picture to another child or another person," Phillips said.

"Our goal is to educate parents and kids about internet use and being careful online," she continued. "We want them to understand why you don't do these things. No matter if it's your best friend or somebody you think you know, you don't send this stuff out."

Phillips emphasized that both parents and children need to recognize the warning signs of online exploitation and grooming. She noted that the average age at which children receive their first cellphone is now around 7 years old.

Online gaming also poses risks for young people. According to Phillips, about 70% of children under age 18 actively participate in online gaming communities, creating additional opportunities for predators to make contact with potential victims.

Both Phillips and Geenen stressed the importance of reporting inappropriate online behavior. They encouraged young people to inform parents, school officials or law enforcement if they encounter suspicious or inappropriate activity online.

Parents and students can contact Phillips at 406-880-1568 or Geenen at 406-546-5453.

Additional Internet Crimes Against Children presentations for parents and community members will be held Sept. 23 at 6 p.m. in the Thompson Falls High School gym.

Sanders County Sheriff's Office Detective April Phillips discusses ways to keep children safe from internet predators. (Tracy Scott/Valley Press)
Tracy Scott