Shield The Vulnerable: Untold Stories Predators in Plain Sight
Introduction
When David Everett created a private Minecraft server for his daughter, it was meant to be a safe space for her to play and explore. But within just ten minutes, a stranger entered the server and began attempting to groom his child. That moment changed everything. What started as a terrifying experience became the driving force behind a global movement to protect children online. In this episode of Shield the Vulnerable: Untold Stories, David shares how that incident launched Game Safe, a technology designed to shield children from online predators.
The Shocking Moment That Changed Everything
David’s daughter was just seven years old when she began playing Minecraft for the first time. Despite the safety measures he and his wife had taken—fake profiles, no personal photos, conversations about privacy—their daughter was almost immediately targeted by a predator. Thankfully, she recognized the danger and alerted her mother. David sprang into action, using his cybersecurity expertise to trace the predator’s IP back to Sierra Leone.
But the most chilling part? The predator had already been flagged in parental forums under the same username: “Jordan from Utah.”
From Protective Father to Tech Pioneer
That night, David’s wife looked at him and said, “You’ve got to do something.” He listened. Instead of trying to track predators one by one, he built Game Safe—an AI-powered application that monitors and flags predatory behavior on children’s gaming devices in real time.
Unlike traditional parental controls, Game Safe doesn’t rely on permissions from platforms like Microsoft or Roblox. It operates directly at the device level, analyzing both visual and textual content to alert parents the moment a threat is detected. With real-time risk scoring and threat detection, it gives parents visibility into what their children see and hear.
Why Game Safe Matters
Online predators are persistent and strategic. Some spend days, weeks—even months—building trust with their victims. Game Safe is built to recognize these grooming behaviors early. From avatars initiating conversation to subtle trust-building, the system is trained to detect it all.
This isn’t about infringing on a child’s privacy—it’s about protecting them in a digital world where threats are evolving faster than most parents can keep up with. As David explained, “If your child is seven years old and online, you need to be having these conversations now. Waiting until they’re a teen is too late.”
A Seatbelt for the Internet
David describes Game Safe and its evolving technology as the internet equivalent of a seatbelt. We don’t question the need for physical safety measures in cars—why should digital safety be any different?
Through a new partnership with SafeToNet, Game Safe is transforming into a built-in feature on devices. Starting with manufacturers like Nokia, their new solution, HarmBlock, will block access to explicit content and sextortion attempts at the device level—before harm can happen.
What Parents Need to Know
- Conversations must start early. Kids are encountering predators as young as 6–7 years old.
- Predators often try to move chats off gaming platforms to encrypted apps like Snapchat, WhatsApp, or Telegram.
- Children sharing explicit images—even of themselves—can face criminal charges. Education is critical.
- AI-based solutions like Game Safe are not spyware—they are safeguards.
Conclusion
David Everett’s story is a wake-up call for every parent. The online world is vast, fast-changing, and filled with unseen dangers—but it’s not hopeless. With the right tools, proactive conversations, and innovative tech like Game Safe, we can protect our children without pulling them offline.
As David said best, “I’m not here to take away their privacy. I’m here to protect them—and walk alongside them.”
Learn more or try Game Safe free for a year: https://gamesafe.ai (use code YAVAPAI)
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About David Everitt
David Everitt is a cybersecurity expert, entrepreneur, and co-founder of GameSafe—a revolutionary AI-driven safety platform designed to protect children from online threats within gaming environments. With over two decades of experience in tech innovation and digital security, David brings a rare blend of technical acumen and real-world urgency to the mission of shielding young users from exploitation, grooming, and harmful content.
His work took a deeply personal turn after a harrowing experience involving his own daughter’s exposure to an online predator. Rather than wait for industry giants to act, David channeled his expertise into building a proactive solution. GameSafe monitors text and voice interactions in real time, offering parents peace of mind and children a safer digital experience.
Under David’s leadership, GameSafe has expanded into partnerships with global device manufacturers, integrating safeguards directly at the device level through innovations like HarmBlock. His mission is clear: empower families with tools that prevent digital harm—before it happens.
David is also a respected voice in online safety advocacy, frequently speaking on panels and podcasts such as Shield the Vulnerable: Untold Stories to raise awareness about the digital risks facing children and the urgent need for scalable, ethical tech solutions.
