The article begins by describing bulletin board systems (BBS), often run by individuals as a hobby, and resident in their own personal computers. Some BBSs were linked via software products and telephone lines to other systems to form a network for exchange of technical, professional, or hobby-oriented electronic mail. The system operators were in complete control of their BBSs and could terminate access for anything they deemed offensive. Today's Internet is a type of bulletin board system on a global scale, where virtually anyone can send data on any subject. Pedophiles and other types of predators can misrepresent themselves in areas of age, sex, appearance, and special interests to develop friendships with young children. These relationships can move from electronic communications to actual meetings, in which the youngster is at risk of physical assault. Policing the Internet requires that law enforcement organizations respect users' free speech rights while at the same time filtering out those individuals or organizations using the Internet for criminal purposes.