JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. -- Cheezo is one cool cat.

The Internet safety mascot and frequent visitor to schools, churches and community events is the brainchild of Senior Detective Mike Harris.

Harris has arrested more than 200 online sexual predators in his career, but he wanted to do more to educate children and ultimately protect them online.

Two years ago, Jefferson County District Attorney Scott Storey gave Harris the go-ahead to create the kid-friendly mascot.

Cheezo got his name from 'C.S.O.I.I." which is Child Sex Offender Internet Investigations, the unit Harris heads at the Jefferson County District Attorney's office.

While visiting schools to talk about online safety, Harris quickly learned children as young as the first grade were going Online unsupervised.

"Parents and educators had done a great job in talking with our younger children about strangers," Harris said. "We have taught our children about strangers on the street. We sometimes forget about the strangers online."

That is where Cheezo the big yellow cat comes in.

"I wanted something captivating and fun for children, but something to help teach them about strangers online and what personal information is," said Harris.

During his school visits and while conducting online investigations, Harris learned that children give out too much personal information to people they have never met.

These Internet strangers are the best, Harris said, at manipulating and grooming a child via the Internet for the purpose of meeting them in real life to have sex.

Harris drives the point home to parents this way, "The one place we have told our children they are safe is in their home. With the Internet it doesn't matter if the doors to our homes are locked or if we have an alarm system. Strangers can come right into our homes via the Internet."

The 'Cheezo' Educational Program is not funded by the county, but through a nonprofit program called The District Attorney Community Partnership, tax ID number 20-5423044.

Cheezo's new head will cost $3,800. Harris has raised all but $900.

Anyone wishing to make a tax deductible donation can do so by sending a check made out to 'District Attorney Community Partnership (CSOII),' c/o Mike Harris, 500 Jefferson County Parkway, Golden, CO, 80401.

Any money raised will go toward Cheezo's new head and furthering the mission of educating children about safety on the Internet.

For more information on the Cheezo program, click here.