A few years ago, a Long Island man kidnapped, raped and sexually abused a 15-year-old Massachusetts girl after using a computer chat line to lure her to a shopping mall, holding her hostage for weeks.

It is extremely important to teach your children how to be safe while on the Internet. Con artists and pedophiles can sound convincing on the Internet, but all too often, children can get in over their heads with people they don't even know.

Our laws are outdated. In response to this, my colleagues and I have introduced legislation that would create new crimes of:

* "Luring," a Class D felony, punishable by up to 2-1/3 to seven years in prison for attempting to lure or entice a child under 17 into a car, building or other isolated place for the purpose of committing a sexual offense; and,

* "Computer Luring," a Class E felony, punishable by a prison term of up to 1-1/2 to four years for attempting to solicit sexual contact with a minor under 17.

Tell your children:

* To let you know immediately if they find something scary or threatening on the Internet;

* Never to give out their names, addresses, telephone number, password, school name, parents' name or any other personal information;

* Never agree to meet face-to-face with someone they have met online;

* Never to respond to messages which contain bad words or seem scary or weird;

* Never to enter an area that charges for services without first checking with a parent or guardian; and

* Never to send a picture of himself or herself to anyone without a parent's permission.

If your child receives threatening e-mail or pornographic material, save the offensive material and contact that user's Internet service provider and your local law enforcement agency. Also, make sure the Internet access at your children's school is properly monitored by adults. Know your children's friends and their parents and talk to the other parents about the rules they have established regarding Internet use, including whether or not they monitor the children online.

Your child may be receiving inappropriate e-mails and be involved in dangerous chat rooms. Be alert. There are many potential warning signs to watch for:

* If your child begins to spend unusually long periods of time on the Internet;

* If the computer repeatedly goes dark or the screen saver appears when you enter the room, as though your child was hiding something;

* If your child uses a large number of disks to retrieve material from an online service or if you find disks hidden in strange places; and

* If your child seems reluctant to discuss messages he or she is receiving.

The Internet is a wonderful tool for discovery. Just take time to exercise proper care to make Internet experiences safe for yourself and your family.