Starting this week, the High Country Advocate is publishing a six-part series by Colorado author John DiGirolamo, whose work exposes the hidden dangers children face online.
DiGirolamo, a Buena Vista resident and author of It’s Not About the Predator, brings firsthand insight into how predators operate, how families can protect themselves, and why cultural awareness is critical in the digital age.
The series covers topics ranging from undercover police operations to the role of artificial intelligence in grooming, the overlooked targeting of teenage boys, and the psychological toll of sexting. Each installment draws from real cases, law enforcement interviews, and DiGirolamo’s extensive research and advocacy.
“Our goal is to equip parents with the knowledge they need to protect their children,” DiGirolamo says. “This isn’t about fear — it’s about being informed.”
DiGirolamo is also the author of It’s Not About the dEvil, It’s Not About the Sex, and It’s Not About the Badge. He serves as Board President of Bringing Our Valley Hope, a nonprofit focused on anti-human trafficking education in Chaffee County.
To learn more about his work, visit www.itisnotabout.com or watch a short video introduction to the series here.
📖 Part 1: Undercover Online as a Thirteen-Year-Old
You wouldn’t let your middle schooler wander the mall by herself — so why would you let her roam the Internet alone? If your child has online access, then every predator in the world potentially can contact your kid. Is this a risk parents should be worried about?
John DiGirolamo’s third book, It’s Not About the Predator: A Parent’s Guide to Internet & Social Media Safety, is a practical 65-page booklet that helps parents keep their kids safe online. It details the predator’s playbook, grooming tactics, and specific proactive actions for families.
Predators use the Internet, online games, and social media to:
- Obtain explicit material
- Extort victims for money
- Arrange sexual encounters
Often, they seek a combination of all three. As Dawn Hawkins, CEO of the National Center on Sexual Exploitation, noted on X (formerly Twitter):
“Child sexual abuse, sex trafficking, rape, pornography — they have all merged online in today’s digital world.”
👮 The Gomez Operation
Officer David Gomez went undercover online as a thirteen-year-old girl. What happened next should alarm every parent.
He created a fake profile on a popular social media platform — easily, in minutes. Within 24 hours, the “girl” received multiple friend requests from strangers. Within minutes of accepting, private messages began arriving. Some asked for nude photos. Others proposed meeting in person.
Twelve hours later, predators offered dinner dates and makeovers at a local motel. One man was arrested at the meeting spot. His phone revealed he had sent over 100 friend requests to middle school girls. Ninety percent accepted. More than 20 had sent him nude photos, which he shared with other collectors of child sexual abuse material.
The man was arrested on a Friday night — the night before his wedding rehearsal dinner. His fiancée had a daughter from a previous relationship. She was thirteen.
🧠 Key Takeaways for Parents
- Fake profiles are easy to create. Predators may pose as adults or as peers.
- Teens often equate online relationships with real-life trust.
- Social media validation fuels risk. Teens may accept requests to boost follower counts.
- Predators exploit private messaging to target vulnerable minors.
- Most teens don’t question who’s behind a friend request.
🔜 Coming Next: How Predators Target Teenage Boys
Think your sons are safe? Think again. The next installment in this series explores how predators specifically target boys — and why most parents miss the signs.
Officer Gomez’s story is also profiled in It’s Not About the dEvil, a dramatized nonfiction book by DiGirolamo featuring stories of people fighting modern evil. Learn more at Deputy Gomez’s page.
📚 About the Author
John DiGirolamo is a speaker and critically acclaimed Christian author of four books, featuring stories of police officers, spiritual warfare, human trafficking advocates and survivors, and a pro-life doctor. He is Board President of Bringing Our Valley Hope, which aims to end human trafficking in central Colorado through education and survivor support. He also serves on the Parent’s Council of Defend Young Minds, a nonprofit that equips families to protect children from pornography.
More information at itisnotabout.com
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