[AP Photo]

In a case that has rocked the midwestern city of New Berlin, Wisconsin, 19-year-old Anthony Stancl has pled no contest to two felony sexual assault charges stemming from an elaborate Facebook sex scam. According to the Associated Press, while in high school, “Stancl was accused of posing as a girl online and persuading more than 30 classmates into sending him naked pictures of themselves, then using the images to blackmail them for sex.” Stancl had faced 12 criminal counts with a maximum penalty of up to 300 years of incarceration. Currently, Stancl stands to face a maximum of 50 years in jail.

The first time I heard about this case was this past July via a chilling feature article by Michael Joseph Gross for GQ Magazine. I recall thinking at the time, “Why? Why would 30 teens send nude pictures of themselves to what is essentially a stranger?” Then, the answer occurred to me. They sent them because they’re teenagers. They are still developing emotionally. They are are still figuring out who they are and where they fit in in the world. In essence, they didn’t think it was a problem.

Obviously, they had no idea they were being lured into a trap by a sexual predator. They assumed that they were talking to a female student. Not just someone who liked them, but someone like them. There was a perception of safety. Sadly, it was all an illusion, and now the victims of these crimes may never fully regain the trust and intimacy needed to sustain healthy adult relationships.

The only takeaway from this sad and sordid case is that parents must take an interest in their child’s digital lives. If you do not recognize a threat, it is impossible to prepare for it. Social networking websites like Facebook and MySpace are not in and of themselves evil entities. They are neutral. The problems occur in how these websites are used and abused. Talk to your children about the web. Explain the issues and the things that they should be looking for. Don’t let their resistance keep you from identifying potential problems before they get too big for you to control. Remember, it is not about controlling your child’s life on the web, it’s about protecting them so that they can lead healthy and productive lives.

For more information on how to help your teens stay safe online, check out the Internet Keep Safe Coalition. Also, check back to the Reputation.com Blog, or follow us on Twitter.