Full Notification

Last month (May 2024), the Novato Police Department was alerted to a series of concerning social media accounts. The anonymous account holder posted comments and images meant to bully others and provoke gang violence. The account owner also offered embarrassing and illicit images of teens throughout Marin County for anyone that requested them. Many of the images had been leaked from the underaged victims’ accounts. The Novato Police Department’s School Resource Officer (SRO) began an investigation, served search warrants, and identified the suspect as a teen from San Rafael.
 
Earlier today (6/11), the SRO located the teen and placed them under arrest for possessing and distributing inappropriate and illegal images, attempting to destroy evidence, and obstructing a police officer. The teen was booked into Marin County Juvenile Hall.
 
The Novato Police Department has zero tolerance for crimes against children and reminds our community of all ages to think before you share pictures and information online. It is important to consider potential risks to your privacy and safety when sharing photos and information. Once shared, it can be difficult to take back as it may be copied and shared by others. Cybercriminals can use information you share to steal your identity, access your bank account, or commit financial fraud.
 
Protect Yourself and Your Family:

• Keep personal information private: don’t share info like your full name, address, phone number, school, or date of birth. Check your privacy settings to see what other people can see.
• Don’t share photos or information with strangers: don’t send pictures of yourself or explicit photos, especially to people you don’t know.  
• Don’t open attachments from people you don’t know, as they could contain sexually explicit images.
• Never share passwords with anyone
• Never respond to messages that are suggestive, obscene, belligerent, or harassing. 
• Never send money or account information to a non-validated source.
• Educate teenagers of the dangers of sharing private information with others.

There are resources available to parents and victims of internet crimes. Report crimes to Novato Police by calling 415-897-4361 or filing a report online at novato.org/reportacrime. In an emergency, call 9-1-1.
 
Safety Resources:

• National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s free service ‘Take it Down’ takeitdown.ncmec.org/
• NetSmartz online education program for ways to keep children and teens safe online. missingkids.org/netsmartz/home

Stay safe Novato!