There was one guy, a boy who I thought was around my own age, that I didn't know, and he was into all the things that I was into. "There is no mystery about what we need to do now to save thousands of children from abuse and exploitation.". Now, 20 years later, she continues speaking to parents and children about the dangers lurking on the Internet, which has only grown since she went online in 2001. I'm sure it was a flight or two but it felt like it was an endless maze. That all changed on New Year's Day 2002. 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. 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. The viewer went to a phone box, called the FBI, and gave them the screenname of the abuser. Click here to hear to listen. Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. Law enforcement knows who they are and where they are. All Rights Reserved. [15], In the aftermath, Kozakiewicz has developed post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)[4] and significant memory loss. In 2001 and 2002 there were very few people educating children that the internet could be dangerous. [12][13][14], After her rescue, Kozakiewicz was examined at a hospital and released to the custody of Fairfax County Child Protective Services. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes, A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India, The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC, An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution, A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors, State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya, A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic, A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California, Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. 2023 BBC. While aware of stranger danger, in the early days of mainstream internet access it was not a concept associated with the World Wide Web, she says. That day he also fed me for the first time in four days and he left for work. It's OK, cry.. We realized that a factor of this ordeal was that no internet safety education was being taught in schools. "They set me free. I got a screenname and got online. He coerced her into his vehicle and then drove her back to his home in Virginia. A woman who was kidnapped, raped and abused at the age of 13 has opened up to a British audience about her ordeal. Sometimes, the sight of a stranger wearing a Pittsburgh Steelers cap triggers horrific memories. Waters. This money is used for training, task forces, research, and rescue efforts for law enforcement agencies seeking child sexual exploitation victims. Stars Jimmy Bacon Rachel Gray Marshall Shirley See production, box office & company info Watch on True Crime Files by ID with Prime Video Channels More watch options The child that was stolen from me. The most popular kids would talk to the less popular kids. "There can be no tolerance and no retreat in our efforts to combat this scourge. 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.. "While you are sitting here, he is at home with your children.". She said her attacker's release will not stop her efforts to keep kids safe. es in similar circumstances are not recovered. DOWNLOAD THE CHANNEL 11 NEWS APP It's been 15 years since that dramatic kidnapping unfolded in Pittsburgh, and a lot has. And call the police and this whole thing will be over.". After my own period of healing, at the age of 14, I began going into schools, giving presentations, and sharing my story, she continued. Seventeen years later, she's sharing her experience . 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. He was sentenced to 19 years and seven months in prison. I decided in that moment that I was going to do anything to get away, that I was going to risk my life. [28], In 2018, it was reported that Alicia's Law had assisted in the arrest of over 1,000 online predators in Wisconsin alone. I thought they were coming to kill me. And he lives on the Net. "You need to get used to having uncomfortable conversations with your kids," she says. "I'm watching them take their pictures and doing all kinds of stuff with their phones," says the 34-year-old as she shakes her head and sighs. I am now working on a masters degree in forensic psychology and am graduating in just a few months (yay!). It is important to note, that the greater majority of children are rescued due to missing posters and alerts released on the internet, radio, TV, highway signs, digital billboards, mobile phones and so on. The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. ", Waters cautioned lawmakers that a lack of resources is harming efforts to address this problem. Mr. Published on September 2, 2022 09:56 AM. [2][3][4] Kozakiewicz has worked with television network Investigation Discovery (ID) to educate the public on, and effect change for, issues such as Internet safety, missing people, human trafficking, and child safety awareness education. Ms Kozakiewicz said she remains convinced she would have been killed that evening. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Alicia Kozak Kozakiewicz was one of the millionswho are victimized by this crime annually. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? What I remember most is the silence. Be quiet.'". What happened next was a harrowing and life-changing experience that Alicia now wants others to know about in hopes of it never happening again. I was staring down the barrel of a gun. He chained me to the floor with this dog collar next to the bed. Finally, the car stopped, he pulled me out of the car and dragged me into this house - and continued to drag me down a flight of stairs that seemed to go on forever in my mind. Childhood abduction survivor Alicia Kozakiewicz tells her story of recovery. And she saw handcuffs and ropes in the back seat. "'Tonight we're going to go for a ride. I knew he was going to kill me.. If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org. "You need to act as though you are in a scary alley on the Internet," she says. "[33], At the time of her abduction, Kozakiewicz was a student at Carlynton Junior/Senior High School. In an emergency always dial 999. But then I realised that I'd already lost many times. Alicia "Kozak" Kozakiewicz was one of the millions who are victimized by this crime annually. Today, you will hear from . You are the prettiest," Alicia says. 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. I started to accept my own death. "If they only knew how dangerous that device could be!". If you have been affected by any of the issues in this piece, you can call the Samaritans for free on 116 123. 'Be good. 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. ", "Predators use the Internet to infiltrate social networking sites to arrange meetings with minors, where they use brute force to commit sexual offenses -- or worse," said Committee Chairman John Conyers, D-Mich.. "We cannot allow the Internet to be a playground where our children are one mouse-click away from sexual predators. He was due to arrive back to his house at 4.30pm and the law enforcement arrived at 4.10pm. 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. At first, she thought that was it, but then she saw the bright, yellow letters on the backs of the mens jackets: FBI. I felt safe. They cut the chain from around my neck and helped me up," she said. It is both a domestic and global crime. She tried to fight with her captor when she could, but was further beaten. Every time she takes thestage, gives an interview or leadsa training, shes aiming to educate as many people as she can. Why Alex Murdaugh was spared the death penalty, Why Trudeau is facing calls for a public inquiry, The shocking legacy of the Dutch 'Hunger Winter'. And that was when the nightmare was over; being in my familys arms.. I'm so lucky. Additionally, I work alongside Protect to secure the passage of, Alicia's Law, named after me, in all 50 states of the US. A tearful and at times angry Alicia Kozakiewicz stood feet from the man who abducted and raped her 17 years ago and begged a federal judge on Friday to keep the man from moving into her hometown. [6], A viewer in Florida recognized Kozakiewicz from news stories and a missing persons flier from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. MILWAUKEE, Wis. - Attorney General Josh Kaul today introduced Alicia Kozakiewicz, a national advocate and survivor of a brutal abduction by an Internet predator, to K9 Kozak, an electronic detection canine named in Alicia's honor that works at the Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ). ", "Sometimes the problems we face as a Congress are extremely complex and other times the solutions are simple and right in front of our eyes," she said. "The Internet has unfortunately become an easy avenue for predators to find unsuspecting victims," said Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash. "That is why I have introduced legislation, the Sex Offender Internet Prohibition Act of 2007, which imposes mandatory penalties, five to 10 years in prison, for individuals who are required to register as sex offenders and knowingly access a Web site with the intent to communicate with an unsuspecting child. 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.. [9] She successfully lobbied for the passage of the Protect Our Children Act of 2008[7] and has been lobbying alongside PROTECT for the passage of Alicia's Law in state legislatures. [17] He was released in February 2019 from the Federal Correctional Complex, Butner. 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