From time to time we hear something that seems to drive home the point of parental controls in today's world.

But this creepy tale out of Pittsburgh really takes the cake.

According to Fox News, an online child pornography ring was busted recently that "required would-be members to share explicit pictures of children" in order to prove that they weren't law enforcement.

The article states that more than 100 people could be involved.

And all of them would have happily abused any unsuspecting or naive child they happened to meet on the Internet, or in the "real world."

How long were these individuals out there? How many kids were abused because of them?

The details aren't available yet. But one thing is certain, there are more of them out there, and not enough law enforcement to catch them all.

This is why parental control software isn't an option today, it's a necessity.

There are simply too many online predators out there hoping to take advantage of your child.

Don't get us wrong - parental control software isn't the only step parents should take to protect their kids. There's no substitute for educating kids and watching them closely, both in terms of online dangers and real-life situations.

But knowing who they're talking to online and what's being said sure makes it a lot easier.