charlene doak-gebaure

Charlene Doak-Gebauer

Charlene Doak-Gebauer is the Founder and Chair of the federal Canadian charity Internet Sense First, as well as the AICET Council (Anti-Internet Child Exploitation Team). She is an internationally recognized expert in child protection, specializing in proactive strategies for safeguarding children in the digital world. Through her leadership, advocacy, and research, she has become a prominent global voice in online child and family safety.

She is the author of two influential books on digital child protection. Her first book, Digital Sexual Victims: True Cases, earned her a nomination for an international award by the Delta Kappa Gamma Society of Educators. Her most recent publication, The Internet: Are Children In Charge?, further explores the challenges of digital exposure and responsibility. Both books are distributed through more than 40,000 channels worldwide, extending her reach to educators, policymakers, parents, and child-protection professionals globally.

The core objective of Charlene’s organizations is to educate the public on her Theory of Digital Supervision, a proactive framework designed to prevent online child exploitation before harm occurs. In addition to education and advocacy, Internet Sense First provides funding for therapy to support victims of internet-based child exploitation, ensuring both prevention and healing remain central to its mission.

Charlene is a global speaker and keynote presenter, frequently invited to address audiences at Crime Stoppers events, schools, teacher conferences, corporate forums, and international conferences. She has delivered presentations across Canada (including Parliament Hill), the United States, Iceland, Europe, and India, and has been featured on numerous radio and television programs for her expertise in digital child safety.

An award-winning Producer and Director, Charlene recently produced the documentary Vulnerable Innocence, which has received multiple international awards. The documentary is grounded in her Theory of Digital Supervision and powerfully highlights the urgent need for proactive, systemic approaches to online child protection.

Charlene is educated at four distinguished institutions: the University of New Brunswick, the University of Western Ontario, the University of Toronto, and the University of California, Santa Barbara. Her academic background supports a holistic, multidisciplinary approach, which she applies consistently in her research, advocacy, and public engagement.

Her commitment to this cause is deeply personal. Charlene’s family was affected by child pornography crimes on two separate occasions, involving two different family members in two different cities. One family member was only four years old when exploited by neighbors who created inappropriate images and videos. That same family member later lived life with remarkable individuality, only to be tragically killed by a drunk driver at the age of twenty-two. These experiences shaped Charlene’s lifelong dedication to child protection.

She founded Internet Sense First in memory of her family member and in solidarity with victims worldwide. A devoted Soul Sister to survivors and a tireless advocate for safer societies for children, Charlene continues to champion the establishment of strong, global standards for childcare and digital protection policies, working relentlessly to ensure a safer future for children everywhere.