In Focus: Kik app linked to rising child exploitation cases, Tulsa investigators say

The Tulsa County Sheriff's Office Child Predator Unit investigated two cases and learned of them through a cyber tip from Kik.

Investigators say the Kik app is known for being the place to view and exchange child sexual abuse material, and that no child should have the app.

>>> What is the Kik app and how did it become so popular? | News On 6 explains

They say a large number of their cases stem from that app, and when they get a cyber tip from Kik, they are likely dealing with the worst of the worst predators.

"Every city usually has an area of town that you don't go to. I would say that's more like Kik. Kik is an app that you just don't get on," said Detective Jason Weis.

Weis has been investigating sex crimes against children for more than 10 years.

He says at least one out of every four tips about people sending or receiving child pornography comes from Kik.

"If you are a drunk, you go to a bar. Whatever your addiction is, there's a place you can go to get it. That's basically Kik. Kik is known for this type of activity," said Weis. "It really is just a devil's playground."

Kik is a social media app where people make a username, message others, create public or private groups, and live stream.

Weis says Kik, Snapchat, Facebook, Google, and other social media platforms are required by federal law to report anything related to child sexual exploitation.

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When that happens, the platform flags the account, then sends a tip to law enforcement with an IP address, email address, and sometimes a phone number. Investigators then get to work.

"When we get Kik cyber tips, they are usually the worst of the worst. They are worse than Snapchats, Facebooks, Google Drives, and Discord. When we get a Kik tip, we know we've got someone who's pretty prolific in their activity," Weis said. "They are exchanging it, uploading it, and initiating contact with people who are like-minded."

It's not a victimless crime—people are looking at graphic pictures and videos of real children, as young as toddlers, being sexually assaulted.

Weis says 70 to 80 percent of people who view this content eventually act on it.

"Whether it's a stranger's child or someone that they know, they are going to groom that child. They are going to look for the opportunity because their senses are so heightened, and they are so anxious and ready to act out on this."

Weis says Kik now has a Child Exploitation Prevention Team, and they work directly with law enforcement in these cases.

News On 6 emailed Kik asking for a statement about this team and statistics showing how many accounts they flag, but I haven't heard back.

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Apps To Help Monitor Your Children

There are apps that investigators say are designed to help parents monitor and control what their kids have access to online.

One app is Qustodio, which lets parents filter websites, block apps, set time limits, and get real-time alerts. It offers some filtering for free, but also offers two paid plans for about $4 and $8 a month.

Another app is Bark, which offers similar controls for parents and also sells phones and smart watches with the technology built in. Investigators say you can put in keywords to flag and block messages. The app costs $14 a month, or $6 a month for a home internet monitor for just website and app blocking.