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Yet again, we've gotten news that federal agents have arrested a man on child pornography and exploitation charges, after that man is accused of receiving pornographic material from more than 100 victims through the Snapchat app since 2018. This time, the accused, Clay Thomas Wolfe, 28, of Junction City, Ohio, allegedly pretended to be a 15-year-old girl and coerced middle and high school boys from Chillicothe and other Ohio cities, as well as in Minnesota and Pennsylvania, to send him child pornography, according to a report by WCMH.
Wolfe also was a New Lexington High School assistant volleyball coach.
Parents and guardians must understand how Wolfe is accused of carrying out his crimes. WCMH reports his Snapchat account contained sexually explicit photos and videos of minors as young as 10 and 11 years old. Snapchat records show he spoke with more than 100 other users between March 2022 and January 2023, and a forensic review of his iCloud account revealed more than 100 photos of child sexual abuse material.
Bear in mind Snapchat is rated for those 13 and older; and new parental controls were to be put in place last fall. They can be accessed through the in-app Family Center. But for those restrictions and tools to be effective, parents must use and enforce them. Adults cannot afford to be naive about their children's online activity.
Wolfe's case is only the latest of many. Parents who are unwilling to communicate with their children, set boundaries and check in often on app and other online activity are putting those children at risk. Wolfe is facing state and federal charges, and should he be found guilty, must experience the full punishment under the law. But there will be others. Parents and guardians must do all in their power to keep their children safe.