Well, this is one way to deal with a pervert problem - post ads for safety. Sure, it will be largely ignored by most young people. But at least someone is doing something over at MySpace…right?

Along with ads for bottled water and iTunes, a new campaign has begun appearing on the online social networking hub MySpace.com.

“1 in 5 kids online is sexually solicited. Online predators know what they’re doing. Do you?” read the public service ads that began running Monday.

A division of News Corp., MySpace enables computer users to meet any of more than 60 million members. Users post searchable profiles that can include photos of themselves and such details as where they live and what music they like.

But the Web site’s features and popularity with teens have raised concerns with authorities nationwide. There have been scattered accounts of sexual predators targeting minors they met through the site.

The spots, which computer users can see on MySpace in the form of banner ads, were also slated to begin running on a host of News Corp. outlets, including other Fox Interactive Media Web sites, the 28 Fox Networks Group broadcast networks, Fox All Access radio and the New York Post.

They are part of a campaign launched two years ago by the Ad Council and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.

Meanwhile, MySpace announced Tuesday that it has hired a Microsoft Corp. executive to oversee safety, education, privacy and law enforcement affairs, effective May 1… Source: AP

Tags: myspace, ads promoting safety, online predators, broadcast networks, ad council