PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Local, state and federal agencies are teaming up to provide parents, caregivers, and educators a presentation on how to best protect children from online exploitation.

 

Those participating include the Berkshire District Attorney's Office, U.S. Attorney's Office, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Massachusetts State Police, Northern Berkshire Community Coalition, and North Adams Public Schools.

 

The law enforcement agencies will present information on online safety Wednesday, March 30, at Drury High School.  The topics include internet safety, social media 101, digital footprints, online gaming, cyberbullying, sexting, sextortion, and protection against online predators.

 

"Our children now spend an enormous amount of time online where they can be vulnerable to exploitation. This presentation gives parents and educators the tools to ensure that our youth are safe," District Attorney Andrea Harrington said.

 

"I thank all of our partners for their expertise and effort to put this presentation together. The Northern Berkshire community truly embodies the concept of taking a village to raise a healthy and safe child."

 

The Berkshire Food Project is providing dinner starting at 5:45 and the presentations will follow. Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts and Williams College will provide free child care to those who need it.

 

Those interested in attending should RSVP to Stephanie Puc at the Northern Berkshire Community Coalition at 413-663-7588 or spuc@nbccoalition.org by March 28. Please note if you would like child care.

 

The speakers will be chief of the District Attorney's Office's Child Abuse Unit Stephanie Ilberg, Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex Grant, FBI Child Exploitation Task Force Officer Danielle Rex, State Police Troopers Deshawn Brown and Andy Canata, and U.S. Attorney's Office victim witness specialist Lauryn Myers.

 

Harrington, U.S. Attorney Rachael Rollins, and North Adams Public Schools Superintendent Barbara Malkas will provide opening remarks.

 

Speaker Biographies

 

• Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex J. Grant has been prosecuting child exploitation and human trafficking cases since joining the Department of Justice in 1999. Prior to coming to the U.S. Attorney's Springfield Branch Office in 2006, Grant worked in the Domestic Violence and Sex Offense section in the District of Columbia U.S. Attorney's Office.

 

• Assistant District Attorney Stephanie Ilberg joined DA's Office in January 2019, when she relocated to Berkshire County. She has been prosecuting crimes against children including sexual and physical assault, homicide, cybercrime and sexual exploitation for much of her 20-year career in New England.

 

• Officer Danielle Rex began her career in law enforcement with the Longmeadow Police Department in 2011 as a patrol officer. In 2017, she was assigned to the Detective Bureau as well as appointed a Task Force Officer with the FBI's Child Exploitation Task Force. She has received advanced training as a certified sexual assault investigator, background investigator, evidence discovery and recovery, child exploitation and internet crimes. She also works within the community teaching self-defense courses and at the annual Citizen's Police Academy. 

 

• Trooper DeShawn Brown is assigned to the B-Troop Community Action Team, where he serves as the community police liaison for Western Massachusetts. Trooper Brown has been with the State Police for nearly four years and said he had dreamed of becoming a police officer because, as a child, he felt safer with a police presence in his low-income neighborhood. He hopes to use his position as a liaison to restore trust in the law enforcement profession within the community.

 

• Trooper Andrew Canata is currently assigned to the School Safety Unit of the Troop B Community Action Team. He has earned both a master of arts in criminal justice as well as a Graduate Certificate in Security Studies from the University of Massachusetts in Lowell. He has served with the State Police for the past 21 years. As part of his current duties, he coordinates with area schools and public safety agencies throughout WMass on safety-related matters.

 

• Lauryn Myers is the victim/witness specialist within the U.S. Attorney's Office who handles all crimes involving child exploitation throughout the commonwealth. She holds a degree in psychology with an emphasis in forensics. With this background and her experiences within the field since 2015, she has helped hundreds of victims through criminal prosecutions in state and federal jurisdictions.