Suffolk County police are investigating inappropriate online behavior involving a 12-year-old girl who was using a school district-issued electronic device, according to officials. Suffolk County police say the student was contacted by an unknown individual.
The incident occurred on Oct. 16 and was detected through the Shoreham-Wading River School District's online monitoring system. District officials said the activity took place off school grounds and outside of school hours.
According to the district, the activity was flagged by GoGuardian, a digital safety platform designed to monitor student activity on school-issued devices. The system generated a report that was sent to school officials, who then launched an internal investigation and contacted law enforcement.
Shoreham-Wading River School District Superintendent Gerard Pool said the incident does not appear to involve any district staff members or other students within the district.
Authorities have not disclosed what type of device the student was using or the specific method through which the individual allegedly made contact.
The case comes as state lawmakers consider legislation known as the FOCUS Act, which would place additional restrictions on internet-enabled devices issued by schools. The proposal would require school-issued devices to be free of social media platforms, gaming platforms, direct messaging services, chatbots, generative artificial intelligence tools, conversational AI applications and cameras.
Detectives assigned to the Suffolk County Police Department's Special Victims Section are leading the investigation. No arrests have been made, and the investigation remains ongoing.
