Cell phone carriers are taking precautions to make sure children are sexual predators

Parents are growing even more concerned as their children gain more responsibility with having their own cell phone. As children learn how to use their own cell phones parents wonder how they can monitor their child’s usage.

With the recent reports of inappropriate text and picture messages around the country, many cell phone providers are now in the process of developing software that will monitor how minors use their cellular devices.

A recent survey conducted by the Personal Finance Education Group, found that on average, parents are allowing their children to possess their own cell phones as young as eight years old. The survey also concluded that by 2010, the average age of child cell phone users would drop to five.

Companies such as eAgency, have developed software to allow parents to monitor what their children are doing at all times with their cell phones.

The eAgency has developed a new program called RADAR, that is specifically designed to protect kids from predators who would use cell phones to lure or assault them. The program works by allowing parents to create a “phonebook” that can be transferred onto their child’s phone.

“The product was also designed to keep a forensic trail of evidence, Bob Lotter,” CEO of eAgency said. “We alert, but we keep track of every conversation.”

If someone calls, who’s number is not listed, the parents get a real-time alert. RADAR also notifies parents if an e-mail, picture or text message, is sent by someone who is not on the list. Every piece of information that comes into the phone is kept so that police can use it in any possible criminal investigation.

The phone is also designed to prevent kids from adding contacts to their phone without their parents knowing.

“If the child adds a contact, the parent is also alerted that a contact has been added,”Lotter said. “Later, you can talk to the child and decide if this contact should be authorized.”