Man accused of exploiting a Valdosta child using the Monkey Cool app
July 22, 2024
A Fairfax County, Virginia man was arrested and is awaiting a transfer to Lowndes County, Georgia after communicating with a 7-year-old child online, according to reports.
The child and the predator were allegedly using the app “Monkey Cool” to communicate.
The app “Monkey Cool” has made appearances in the media for years, rarely for good reasons. The app connects strangers at random for video chatting. Using the app is often discouraged, especially for children. Many users of the app have reported what appeared to be an overwhelming amount of alleged predator activity. A video chat app is difficult to monitor unless you are standing over your child and watching every interaction they have.
The “Monkey Cool” app is similar to many other apps that have since been shut down or removed from app stores that can be accessed through mobile device, such as Omegle. The Omegle website was shut down in 2023 and now only features a message from the founder about why the shut down was necessary.
The Omegle app was brought up in another case from Georgia of a missing teen who allegedly used the Omegle app before disappearing. The teen was not located for several months before law enforcement worked with other departments to locate the teen in a house where they were being held prisoner.
The chief, Leslie Manahan, stated, “if your children have smart phones, please pay attention to the apps that they have on their phones. If you see the Monkey Cool app, know that it is being used by sexual predators to find child victims and you need to contact law enforcement. Keep monitoring your children’s phones and know what apps they have access to.”
Are Valdosta police officers aware of how to actually help parents in Lowndes County with protecting children? The statement is about as helpful as a 1990’s D.A.R.E. campaign. It only highlights the issue without providing further education or resources.
As many parents are well aware, consistently monitoring a child on any device can be difficult. Gaming systems, phones, computers, tablets, and hand held devices are being used by children daily. To properly monitor the activity on any given device we recommend using an app that does the time consuming part for you.
Both free and paid monitoring is available to the general public. With a monitoring system in place you can view what apps are on the device, see real time reports of the activity on the device from searches to private messages. Using monitoring apps should be done with care and consideration and only be used to ensure the safety of the child using the device.
Education is king in this environment. Stay aware of the risk factors and possible outcomes of your child communicating with other individuals on any device.
Predator activity online shows that the process of a predator engaging with a child can be discreet and it can move quickly. A child who begins communicating with a predator online can result in the child being taken and/or harmed within hours, days, weeks, etc. Actionable education for the public is the only way to properly protect children online.
The Valdosta Police Department did not release the most vital piece of information in assisting to fully prosecute an online predator. When charges are filed against an online predator, it is common to release the username that the individual utilized for their criminal activity in order to find anyone else who may have communicated with that same username. Obtaining such critical details without the username is often unsuccessful. Predator’s often use the name on a variety of apps and it is helpful to find all the victims to ensure a thorough prosecution. Search warrants of digital devices owned by the predator are not always successful in obtaining this information.
Many criminal cases against online predator’s in Lowndes County have resulted in no prison time, no consequences for their actions, and some offenders were not required to register as sex offenders. Considering that the neighboring state of Florida that sits less than 20 minutes from Valdosta, Georgia, is strict about properly prosecuting child predator offenses, it is possible that offenders would choose to reside in Georgia where crimes against children appear to be less of a priority. It is vital that Georgia sends a message through ensuring successful prosecutions of offenders who target children.
Lowndes County received the help of the GBI (Georgia Bureau of Investigation) to assist with locating online predators in the area. The GBI was successful in tracking down several offenders. None of the individuals were sentenced to any prison time, some individuals charges were dropped entirely and two of the fourteen individuals that were arrested were not required to register as sex offenders. And two of the offenders cannot be located now and have absconded from their obligation to register as a sex offender.
The investigation is ongoing as Kyle Flores is processed and transferred from Virginia to Lowndes County, Georgia. If you have information to share with police, please contact the Valdosta Police Department at (229)293-3145.