The Kansas CW | Accused Solicitor Case Puts More Emphasis on Ark City Middle School Program
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by Cliff Judy (ARKANSAS CITY, Kan.)
By the time they reach eighth grade, most middle schoolers are plenty proficient at Facebook, MySpace, and let's face it...anything computer. A recent case involving a man in Arkansas City allegedly contacting and even meeting dozens of teenage girls is putting new emphasis on Internet safety for some.
For the last few years, eighth graders at Arkansas City Middle School have seen a program in their required computer class called Think.com. The class is designed to make sure students understand Internet safety and "netiquette." It also allows them to make a school profile similar to Facebook or MySpace.
"It's, 'I've been doing it for a long time,' 'I've always done this,' or 'why shouldn't I do this?'" Darla Mann says of the students she finds with online social accounts that reveal too much info. Mann hopes students trust her when she tells them the dangers of not keeping their private information private.
"I'm a mom and I do have teenagers," says Mann, "and I'd want them to be safe about what they're sharing."
The program seemed to have even greater importance recently when a 25-year-old Arkansas City man was arrested and charged in Sedgwick County with Electronic Solicitation of a Child. Thomas Pennycuff was arrested in Wichita because police say he tried to meet a detective he thought was a 13-year-old girl.
Arkansas City Police later seized his computer and believe he contacted around 50 Ark City teens. The department originally said Pennycuff had contacted as many as 80 children, but investigators have since scaled back that estimate. Investigators also say they believe Pennycuff solicited or met with 13 teenage girls and may have touched one.
On Thursday, police investigators presented part of their case against Pennycuff to prosecutors. It's now up to the Cowley County Attorney to decide if there's enough evidence against him to file charges.
Teresa Balsters said she was so surprised by the news of Pennycuff's arrest, she stopped her car in the street. The Ark City mother of four says she believes every school should have a program like Think.com, and she even believes it might be better if the program is presented to younger students.
"The older ones like the 14-year-olds, they pretty well understand," says Balsters. "It's the younger kids and the ones in the elementary schools where you have to get really specific."
People who lived with Pennycuff say they've barely seen him since he bonded out of the Sedgwick County Jail, and he told them he was staying with friends in Wichita. Ark City PD investigators say they've monitored some of Pennycuff's online social accounts, and he hasn't logged into his MySpace account since his arrest early this month.
