Imagine, for a moment, that you’re a 20-year-old young man. You’re barely beginning your life when you find out you’ve been falsely accused of a crime. Not just any crime, but rape. In one instant, your life is turned upside down. The media demonizes you before your trial has begun and you’re viewed as a pariah in the public’s eye. After spending countless days agonizing over your impending trial, you are suddenly set free. The alleged victim has fully recanted her story. Despite your newfound freedom and the fact that your name has been fully cleared of wrong doing, the allegations continue to affect your life, especially on the Internet where your name continues to pop up in news stories about the crime and the trial. What would you do to reclaim your good name? Who would you turn to for help?

Now, imagine that you’re a 16-year-old girl. You, like many girls your age, decide to send your boyfriend a few pictures of you posing naked from your phone. You realize after the fact that it was a mistake. Sometime later, after you and your boyfriend have split up, you find out that those pictures aren’t as private as you thought. In fact, they’re on MySpace and they’ve been seen by a number of your friends. You’re embarrassed, ashamed, and upset. How did those pictures get on the Internet? How can you get them offline?

If you think these stories couldn’t play out in your home, think again. On Dr. Phil today, Reputation.com CEO Michael Fertik listened to the stories of two young people, Kevin and Chelsea, whose lives had come to a halt because of the above scenarios. They, and their parents, were afraid that they might never live their reputations down, potentially hurting them in applying for jobs, applying to college or graduate school, and more.

Is it fair to be judged in only one dimension? No. Doesn’t everyone deserve a chance to shape their own destiny, free of any prejudice? Yes. Here at Reputation.com, we believe you should be able to control your reputation online, which is why Michael Fertik didn’t just go on Dr. Phil today to listen, but to help. Beginning today, Kevin and Chelsea will have the expertise, dedication, and experience of Reputation.com to help them repair  their images online.

If you’d like to make sure your children don’t have to go through the same horror stories as Kevin and Chelsea, talk to your kids about the importance of making good decisions, both online and offline. Reputation.com can help too. With our unique MyChild services, you can protect your child from cyberbullying, posting damaging material about themselves or your family online, and more. Taking a proactive stance in protecting your child on the Internet is taking an investment in their future. Make sure you’ve got experts on your side.