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The recent arrest of a Raleigh man who police say thought he was luring a 13-year-old into a sexual encounter in Greensboro underscores the need for parents and young people to be more aware of online dangers, organizers of an Internet safety night say.

"We know we can't shield our kids from pornography and predators and the hazards of the Internet, short of throwing the computer out of the window," said Donna Mann, who works with Trinity Church middle school students who are learning to communicate their faith with current technology, by posting short films on YouTube.

In looking for ways to protect children, Mann's church is inviting the public to a conversation Sunday,\ with a police officer who plays the role of a teenager in online stings to catch sexual predators.

Cpl. C.E. Williams of the Greensboro Police Department is one of five investigators assigned to crimes against children, including abuse and child pornography. The sting against the Raleigh man was handled by Guilford County deputies, but Internet crimes against children keep law enforcement agencies busy.

"You still have a lot of parents, and you still have a lot of teenagers and children, who are very naive about the dangers that exists," Williams said of the need for conversation. "Parents are still trying to grasp the concept of what's going on in the Internet world, and while they are trying to grasp that concept, the trend is moving to the next layer of technology - 'Can I text you,' which slowly moves them in the direction of in-person contact."

A good number of young Internet users have received a sexual solicitation, he said.

"The officers and deputies who go out and talk to these groups aren't just saying, 'This is what the statistics are showing us. ... They are coming from the point of view that we are online and we know this is happening because we are seeing it."

Mann sees links that are sexual in nature attached to innocent Web content, like the "StuckintheMiddleTV" films her youngsters produce and then post on YouTube and GodTube.

"If we're going to be letting our middle schoolers put things on the Internet, we've got to be prepared, and we've got to prepare our children that, 'You probably will have someone contact you or try to send you an e-mail or try to find you,'" Mann said. "It's not just because we post films. It's any kid that's active on Facebook or MySpace."

Williams also wants to discuss how children are knowingly drawn to adults online - the stranger who might be the only person telling them how smart or pretty they are.

"It's also someone who will buy them clothes and take them places and do the things their parents won't let them do," said Williams, who hopes to encourage family dialogue by including some preteens, along with teenagers, in the discussions.

He is tailoring his message Sunday, at the church's request, to include even younger Internet users.

The church is offering child care and activities for preteens who won't be part of the discussion.

"We want the young people to know what we are telling the parents," Williams said. "A lot of times they don't like that because they think we are encouraging their parents to spy on them, but a lot of times it gives young people the opportunity to ask questions.

"It's better to do it this way," Williams said, "than for us to get called out at 3 or 4 in the morning on a missing child."

Contact Nancy McLaughlin at 373-7049 or nancy.mclaughlin@news-record.com