While popular social media sites, such as Facebook and Twitter have exploded in popularity for teens and adults as a way to stay in touch, it has also attracted a more dangerous audience.

Police say potential sexual predators lurk online nationwide, targeting young people on social media sites.

“For pedophiles, the Internet is like a candy store,” said Det. James Marsh with the Haywood County Sheriff’s Office. “It is a way for predators to communicate with children and circumvent the parent’s authority. Many pedophiles have become very savvy and very sophisticated online, and they know exactly what to say.”

In his five years working on child abuse cases for the Sheriff’s Office, Marsh has seen a distinct correlation between the popularity of social media and child sex cases.

Facebook and ...