Alicia Kozakiewicz was the first known child to be abducted after being groomed online - at the age of 13 Credit: Supplied "Your kids are home, but predators are home too," warns internet safety expert Alicia Kozakiewicz, 32, who was the world's first known internet-related abduction victim. Alicia Kozakiewicz was 13-years-old when she slipped out of her parents house in Pittsburgh to meet a friend she had been chatting to online for the past six months. "There was one guy, a boy who I thought was around my own age, that I. You are the coolest. [3][28] Currently, she is an Airline Ambassadors International Human Trafficking Awareness trainer and spokesperson, teaching airport personnel to recognize and report the signs of human trafficking. Ms Kozakiewicz believed the fourth day of her capture would be her last. She said: Whether you're held captive for four days or abused by somebody you love for years, or molested for 15 seconds on a bus, it's your experience and your pain that defines it, not the length of time and not what actually occurred., Rape is all about power and control, and love never is.. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy, Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq, A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France, A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. These arecrime scene images and videos of children being sexually abused., Alicia also works withAirline Ambassadors International asahuman traffickingawarenesstrainer and spokesperson. Victim of online predator tells Congress of horrific ordeal and urges action. Alicia never wants what happened to her to happen to another young person, which is why she now spends her time speaking about internet safety, visiting schools, and sharing her story. Additionally, I work alongside Protect to secure the passage of, Alicia's Law, named after me, in all 50 states of the US. I resolved to begin sharing my story and experience to highlight the existence and prevalence of online predators and to empower others to keep themselves and their families safe.. And she saw handcuffs and ropes in the back seat. I thought, "This is when I'm going to die. I remember crawling out from underneath this bed. Most abductees in similar circumstances are not recovered., By 14, Alicia knew whatshe had to do help her healing processand alsoto help others. We train airline employees, both in the air and on the ground, how to be aware and act when they notice the signs of trafficking., For Alicia, the goal has always been to help and prevent what happened to her from happening to. She was also honored with a Jefferson Award for Public Service in 2009. Still in existence today, the agency pioneered internet safety and sexual awareness presentations for children. They had talked to me about "stranger danger" but there is a difference between a stranger you meet on the street and the stranger you meet online. Since her rescue, Alicia has found purpose in trying to prevent what happened to her from happening to anyone else. People online may be strangers at first, but then you learn about them, and soon they seem like friends. Air travel is the quickest and most convenient way to transport victims. I'm so lucky. Insight Digital Magazine. I was staring down the barrel of a gun. I had no clothing on. It will criminalize the knowing access of child pornography.". On the fourth day he said: "I'm beginning to like you too much. In response, I began to work alongside the nonprofit PROTECT and together we passed Alicias Law in twelve states, which helps to fund the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task force, providing resources, training, on multiple fronts. She has used counseling as a treatment method. The question was whether they would find me alive, or dead. "He was squeezing my hand so tightly that I thought it was broken," she recalls. Shortly after her kidnapping she started The Alicia Project and has been educating people on internet safety and sexual exploitation awareness ever since. He'd already kidnapped a child, he'd already done unspeakable things to me, why would murder be something that he couldn't do?," she said, However, before Tyree returned from work, Ms Kozakiewicz was rescued by FBI agents, whom she describes as my angels.. There were no dogs barking, there wasn't anything other than the snow crunching under my feet. Did they know how much I loved them?". Leave a Reply. [6], A viewer in Florida recognized Kozakiewicz from news stories and a missing persons flier from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. Alicia's Law has been passed in 11 states,[2] including Virginia, Texas, California, Hawaii, and Idaho. We cannot and will not rest until these predators are shut down and locked up," said Michael Mason, executive assistant director of the FBI's Criminal, Cyber, Response and Services Branch. I mourn for that child that was me. Kozakiewicz is now 29, an actress and model, a forensic psychology graduate and an experienced public speaker. The law must be amended to ensure that these offenders do not escape liability because of a technicality in the law, and this is something my bill does. "I had been given this second chance, and I wasn't going to waste it," she says about her decision to talk about what happened to her. My childhood up to that point had been an amazing one. It is both a domestic and global crime. They set me free. He kidnapped me, held me captive, and streamed the abuse. Waters. ine. And he lives on the Net. had become the first widely-reported Internet-related child abduction case. Tyree filmed the abuse and broadcast it online, live via streaming video for others to witness. In this fight, my goal has always been to create actionable, positive changes. Mr. Scott. She thought she was going to say a quick hello to the person she had gotten to know online, but instead, a 38-year-old man kidnapped her and drove her away in his car. Sign up forPEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. Now, I would know exactly what that meant but at that time I had no idea. While many victims are, young girls, victims of all genders and demographics are trafficked. New Year has always been a day of celebration for my family. In fact, you are the best thing in their eyes. She was groomed online, by a man who she believed was a teen age boy. I thought hed sent people to kill me. He sped off down my street and past my house. In the US, the average, age a child is first entered into human trafficking is between 12 and 14 years old. I'm sure it was a flight or two but it felt like it was an endless maze. They really have said that. ", Waters cautioned lawmakers that a lack of resources is harming efforts to address this problem. "I cry inside. In an emergency always dial 999. A woman who was kidnapped, raped and abused at the age of 13 has opened up to a British audience about her ordeal. "We are overwhelmed, we are underfunded and we don't have the resources we need to save these children," said Waters. Simply, they blamed the victim, which sadly, is not much different from sexual assault cases of present day. I watched those boots, one set of them walk from one side of the bed that I was hiding under. "You need to act as though you are in a scary alley on the Internet," she says. Human trafficking is at crisislevels,however, we can fight against this epidemic if we have the proper tools. 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There is still a deeply held belief that human trafficking happens elsewhere, when in fact, it happenseverywhere, including your neighborhood. Clear! Now an advocate for laws preventing crimes against . Seventeen years later, she's sharing her experience . We teach our children to wear a seatbelt, we teach them to look both ways before they cross the street, Alica explained to Studio 10. For more on the missing persons case of Sofia Juarez, subscribe now to PEOPLE or pick up the current issue, on newsstands now. I was raped and beaten and tortured in that house for four days. [6] As an adult she said that in 2002 people found it impossible to understand how this had happened and how she had been groomed; they mostly blamed the victim, although some people were supportive.[16]. But instead of going upstairs to her room, she slipped past the Christmas tree and out the front door to say a quick hello to her new friend, who was waiting in a car parked down the block. In 2001 and 2002 there were very few people educating children that the internet could be dangerous. Scott. Tonight were going to go for a car ride. And I knew that was when he was going to kill me.. I thought: "When was the last time that I told them I loved them? 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I turned around and started walking back, but then I heard my name being called - and the next thing I knew I was in a car with this man, and immediately I feared for my life. Alicia Kozakiewicz (/li kozkvt/ -LEE-sh KOH-z-KEV-ich;[1] born 1988) is an American television personality, motivational speaker, and Internet safety and missing persons advocate. "You need to get used to having uncomfortable conversations with your kids," she says. "Check their phones. The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children reports logging a staggering 29 million calls to its Cyber Tipline last year a 35 percent rise from the previous, record-breaking year. What's the least amount of exercise we can get away with? "[33], At the time of her abduction, Kozakiewicz was a student at Carlynton Junior/Senior High School. In September 2003, Tyree was sentenced to 19 years and 7 months in federal prison. My fiance supports my mission and he is a great guy but above all he is a great friend. Back in 2002 on New Years Day, Alicia slipped out of her house in between dinner and dessert. 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This bill sends a clear message to sex offenders that if they use these Internet sites to contact children, they will go to jail.". I saw boots come along the side of the bed. I remember walking up the street just about a block or so and the streets were covered in ice and there was nobody out. [2], In 2007, she testified before the House Judiciary Committee in an effort to raise awareness of the importance of internet laws to protect children. What followed was a nightmare. "Even if you are somewhere that should be safe, you're letting your child wander around that dark alley.". Alicia Kozakiewicz was 13 years old when she slipped out of her home in Pittsburgh to meet someone she had been chatting to online. However, there were those that were supportive and I hope they know how much I appreciate their care and concern. I was going to fight him.. Good has to speak up louder.. I knew in that moment there was nothing I could do. Alicia knows all too well: At 13, she was lured into conversation by an online predator who groomed her for months with flattery before abducting her. This is really dangerous you need to go home.". "The boogey man is real. This is her story in her own words. Alicia doesn't have a clear memory of what happened next, except that she heard her name called out and the next thing she knew, she was in the man's car. We realized that a factor of this ordeal was that no internet safety education was being taught in schools. Through this, the FBI found his IP address which led to me. Nearly 20 years later, Alicia is still sharing her story,travelingacross the globe to speak to audiences of children, families, teachersand law enforcementin an effort toraise awareness of online predators, child abduction and child sexual exploitation.