Baldwin County Teachers Receive Sexual Predator Training
By Rick McCann
Blue RAM Media/Gulf Coast News
August 7, 2025
ROBERTSDALE, Ala. Teachers gathered this week and received information from Homeland Security on how to spot child sex predators.
Sexual predators often groom their victims by pretending to want to be friends online and in person. Some offer money, gifts, and give the child lots of attention that they may not be receiving at home.
“I work these cases more often than not,” HSI Special Agent and instructor Kent Blacklidge said.
He says they usually start with a photo on a phone, a chat on social media, or an online game.
“The majority of the targets have been teenagers, but that’s not to say there haven’t been much, much younger,” he said.
Many predators spend a good amount of time surfing the Internet and posing as children or teens and lure their victims through various avenues, being sneaky, and through innocent pathways.
Cyber tips originating from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children for Baldwin County show a disturbing trend.
In 2023, there were 85 tips. 84 cases were cleared by the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office, with 18 arrests. Last year, there were 82 tips. 78 cases were cleared with 11 arrests.
This year, there have been 44 tips, 21 cases cleared, five arrests, and 23 still active.
Arrests of sexual predators, adults downloading and disseminating child porn, and other bad actors have increased across the Gulf Coast.
The lesson, according to Blacklidge, is that anything shared privately online has an eternal footprint and can be used against you.
“I am glad to hear there is a program to help prevent on the front end and educate these kids so they know what they are doing before they press any buttons,” Daphne High School Health Science teacher Lannah Saine said.
Blacklidge told the teachers that anyone who requests videos, pictures, or eventually to meet in person is considered a red flag that a child predator could be at the other end of the conversation.
“The sooner you get law enforcement involved, the more likely it is that there will be a positive outcome.”
Teachers said that they received good information and helpful signs of possible predator actions.
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