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Nassau Police Warn Parents Of Facebook Dangers After They Say Teen Lured, Raped

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- If you're a parent with a child on Facebook, police on Long Island have a warning for you.

Nassau County Police said a 26-year-old man lured a 13-year-old girl to his house using Facebook and raped her, CBS 2's Kathryn Brown reported.

Saul Reynaldo Reyes targeted the girl through a mutual friend on Facebook, using the connection to befriend his young victim and lure her to his house and rape her, police said.

Anne Donnelly, chief of Nassau County's technology crimes unit, sees predatory behavior far too often and said what happened between Reyes and his alleged teenage victim should serve as a wake-up call to all parents.

Donnelly is encouraging parents to not only keep track of their kids' online profiles, but to go a step further: Know their passwords, "friend" their friends as well, and establish a nighttime charging policy for all electronics.

"If you take it out of their rooms and into a central place where you can check before you go to bed that it's being charged up, you might cut down on some of that late-night activity," Donnelly said.

It's a tactic not all teens are thrilled about, reported Brown.

"My parents are thinking about getting a Facebook ... I don't want them to get a Facebook, but if they do then obviously I'll accept their friend request," said 15-year-old Jenna Kaminsky.

"Our principal gave us all the speech -- anything you wouldn't want your grandma to see don't put it up, so I totally abide by that," said  Hope Glassman, 15.

Police, parents and prosecutors are all hoping more attention will save another teen from becoming another victim.

Three of Deborah Weinrib's children are on Facebook, and she admitted that keeping tabs on them isn't easy, Brown reported.

"I'd like to say that I'm one of these stalking mothers, but I'm really not. I talk to my kids a lot and I'm very involved in their day-to-day, so I can only hope," Weinrib said.

Reyes is charged with second-degree rape and endangering the welfare of a child.

Are your kids on Facebook? If so, do feel you they are safe?

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