DAPHNE, Ala. — Just because a child is in their room, that does not mean they are safe from sexual predators.

The far-reaching territory of the Internet and cell phones presents kids and teenagers with a wide range of discovery; but it also opens them to sexual predators who use social networking sites like Facebook “as their hunting ground,” said Tommy Loftis, law enforcement coordinator for the United States Attorney’s Office.

Loftis — who spoke to Baldwin County parents and children Tuesday night at Bayside Academy — said 30 percent of teenage girls said they were sexually harassed in an Internet chat room, and only 7 percent reported the offense. He said the majority of sexual predators are professional white males ages 25 to 45 with a middle- to upper-class lifestyle.

“They feel like they’re safe,” Loftis said about kids sitting behind their computers or text messaging on their cell phones.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I’m here to tell you that is not the truth.”

Loftis said some Bayside students he queried earlier implied they had as many as 600 contacts in their phone, on a Facebook account or a combination.

Though such communications channels can pose dangers, they also can demonstrate liabilities for potential employers. Loftis said many of the pictures and information on social networking sites are critiqued and scrutinized by future employers. He said 50 percent of Fortune 500 companies say one of the first things they look at is Facebook accounts when reviewing applicants.

“Applications go into the shredder because of what (the company) sees on Facebook,” he said.