Ariel Winter Puts Her Life On The Line To Help Catch Online Child Predators

Yahoo

15 hours ago

, best known for her role as Alex Dunphy on "Modern Family," has taken on a powerful new role off-screen.
The 27-year-old actress has teamed up with the nonprofit organization SOSA (Safe from Online Sex Abuse) to help combat the ever-growing problem of online predators targeting young children.
Ariel Winter has participated in an undercover sting operation for SOSA's true crime docuseries, "SOSA Undercover," where she played the role of a 12-year-old girl to catch predators attempting to exploit minors online.
Winter's involvement in the operation is deeply personal.
Reflecting on her own experiences in the entertainment industry with Daily Mail, she shared, 'It's definitely cathartic to be teaming with SOSA, knowing that I can make a difference."
The actress continued, explaining that although pretending to be a 12-year-old and interacting with older men can be intimidating, the work is invaluable. "It's validating to put away predators that have been harming children."
SOSA, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting minors from online sexual exploitation, partners directly with law enforcement to conduct undercover operations aimed at identifying and arresting child predators.
According to Winter, the need for such operations is dire. 'Growing up in the entertainment industry, I've been the girl we are trying to save," she said. "It's vital to me to help protect young women from the experiences I endured in my own life."
The dangers of online predators have never been more prevalent, as platforms like social media, gaming apps, and photo-sharing sites make children and teens more vulnerable than ever. Winter explained the difficulty of finding these predators, noting how they often use false identities and carefully conceal their true intentions.
'Finding someone is hard because they don't use their real name or handle, and we have to do research into who these people are," she explained. 'I was surprised by the volume of men out there looking to talk to young girls. It's hundreds of thousands of men.'
One of the most shocking realizations for Winter was the normalcy of the predators' appearances.
'These men don't look like predators. They look like the guy next door. They're usually married with children and have pets. They seem nice because they talk about their everyday life, but they're trying to meet with a 12-year-old girl,' Winter shared.
She recalled one instance where a man in his 40s tried to take an 11-year-old girl shopping for a new bra. 'That's not normal. It's not good.'
The emotional toll of Winter's involvement in these operations has been substantial.
'This whole experience has been heartbreaking because I think of how young these girls are and they're being approached by much older men,' she said before expressing concern for young girls who are often lonely and turn to the internet for companionship, only to fall prey to predators.
'Kids look for online relationships because they're lonely or bored and then they find a male and think that they can connect to them, not realizing they are so much older and are actually predators with bad intentions,' Winter said.
Winter's journey into this work is deeply rooted in her own experiences. Having entered the entertainment industry at a young age, she recalled receiving inappropriate messages from older men as early as when she was on a laptop or cell phone.
'The movie and TV industry is a dark place,' Winter said, noting how the trauma she experienced led her to seek therapy.
Her partnership with SOSA is a part of her ongoing commitment to helping prevent such abuse. 'I like working with SOSA because it's women helping women,' she said, emphasizing her dedication to continuing this work for as long as she can.
Roo Powell, founder of SOSA, praised Winter's efforts, acknowledging that her support is vital for the nonprofit.
'Ariel is boosting our platform, and it means so much to us because we have only five full-time employees and a smaller budget than most libraries. Ariel is getting the word out about SOSA. She has been amazing,' Powell said. 'She will do anything to help us. She helps take out the trash and eats cold cheeseburgers with us.'
SOSA's work is critical in protecting children from online predators, and their methods are both highly strategic and realistic.
The nonprofit stages undercover operations using decoy houses, where minor personas engage with predators on video calls. These operations are designed to build trust with the predators and provide law enforcement with the critical evidence needed to make arrests.
With over 1 million followers on Instagram and TikTok, SOSA has built a thriving online community that not only raises awareness but also provides resources and safety tips to help protect children from online threats. Winter's involvement is helping bring more attention to this important cause, as she uses her platform to spread the word about SOSA's mission to protect children from online sexual exploitation.
As she continues her work with SOSA, Ariel Winter is not only shedding light on the prevalence of online predators but also using her voice and experience to protect the next generation from the horrors that she herself faced in her youth.