Time to alert the parents:

LYNCHBURG — Bedford County’s battle against Internet child predators and pornographers received a financial boost last week. The Southern Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, known as Operation Blue Ridge Thunder, received a state grant for $95,000 to help in its efforts to find and arrest those who exploit children through the Internet, Bedford County Sheriff Mike Brown said.Grant will help Va. fight child porn (Richmond Times-Dispatch)

When social networking Web sites MySpace and Facebook surfaced a few years ago, millions of teenagers rushed to be part of a new form of socializing and sharing interests. At the same time, parents and educators worried about online predators as well as students posting private information and questionable photos.Parents grow more comfortable about teens networking online (Greenwich Time)

Sexual predators are scary, but the bigger threat may be what your kids do by accident.Keeping Your Kids Safe Online (Forbes)

Last week, 19-year-old Alicia Kozakiewicz told the House Judiciary Committee about her horrific ordeal at the hands of a sadistic rapist she met in an Internet chat room.Magid: Abductions by online predators rare (San Jose Mercury News)

Portcard.net is already providing Facebook users with an effective tool to combat online predators. Users of Facebook and social networking services such as AIM and MySpace can increase their security by using Portcard.net to immediately authenticate the identity of other users and remove the total anonymity predators use to exploit children on social networking sites. (PRWeb Oct 18, 2007) Post …Portcard.net Gives Facebook Users Extra Level of Protection Against Internet Predators (PRWeb)

A 51-year-old Vidor man was arrested in September for indecent behavior and online solicitation of a minor. The crime is growing in Orange County and across the nation.Indecency on the net: Offramps everywhere for predators searching for children (Orange Leader)

Time to alert the MySpace.com users:

Rupert Murdoch, hailed as the smartest media executive when he bought MySpace, now faces questions over his next move in the digital world as the social network tries to fend off growing rival Facebook.Web world eyes MySpace (TVNZ)

To reach a new generation of teen drivers, the California Department of Motor Vehicles has created a channel on the popular video-sharing Web site YouTube.com and social networking site MySpace.com to teach safety skills.DMV on YouTube, MySpace (The Union)

As the number of Facebook users catches up to older rival MySpace, one thing is certain - social networking has become “the thing” to do online.MySpace, Facebook making us more social (AAP via Yahoo!7 News)

The 220 million users of Skype can’t be wrong, or so MySpace executives are hoping.SkypeSpace | MySpace and Skype team up to create an Internet voice network, giving Facebook’s applications new … (Daily Orange)

MySpace is launching its first original scripted series for the Web. The social networking giant is teaming with Iron Sink Media on a new series called “Roommates,” which will follow a group of eight former college roommates. The series will…MYSPACE DEBUTING WEB SERIES (New York Post)

The popular social networking site MySpace brought its first MySpace Music Tour to Denver’s Paramount Theater Saturday that featured HelloGoodbye, Say Anything, Young Love and the Polysics. The Art Deco design and layout of the Paramount are more suited to sitting and watching a play.MySpace tour impresses fans (Clarion Online)

Hello. I’ve found the following MySpace.com headlines and news articles for you:

MySpacers who want a little more drama in their lives will be able to get their fill from a new Web series launched on MySpace TV Monday. Sponsored by Ford Motor, “Roommates,” an original scripted series, will roll out over the next nine weeks with daily weekday updates on the world’s most popular social network.MySpace TV to Air Bite-Sized Serial Drama (E-Commerce Times)

Rupert Murdoch, hailed as the smartest media executive when he bought MySpace, now faces questions over his next move in the digital world as the social network tries to fend off growing rival Facebook.Web world eyes MySpace (TVNZ)

As the number of Facebook users catches up to older rival MySpace, one thing is certain - social networking has become “the thing” to do online.MySpace, Facebook making us more social (AAP via Yahoo!7 News)

The 220 million users of Skype can’t be wrong, or so MySpace executives are hoping.SkypeSpace | MySpace and Skype team up to create an Internet voice network, giving Facebook’s applications new … (Daily Orange)

To reach a new generation of teen drivers, the California Department of Motor Vehicles has created a channel on the popular video-sharing Web site YouTube.com and social networking site MySpace.com to teach safety skills.DMV on YouTube, MySpace (The Union)

With stories of children solicited through MySpace in news headlines across the nation, concerned local parents met in the Faulk Central Library Monday night to learn about social networking Web sites.Seminar teaches parents how to use MySpace (The Daily Texan)

MySpace, the social networking site, on Tuesday said it formed a partnership with Oberon Media to create a new gaming channel on the site.MySpace in deal to let users play on-line games (Reuters via Yahoo! News)

“Roommates,” which features eight women just out of college, is MySpace’s first foray into original programming.MySpace Debuts Original, Interactive Reality Series (TechWeb via Yahoo! News)