GOLDEN, Colo. -- Jefferson County District Attorney Scott Storey issued a warning to parents Tuesday that there is a new way for predators to meet kids online.

Launched in November 2009 by a 17-year-old Russian teen, Chatroulette is based on the roulette wheel model. This new “webcam-based” social networking site can be far more dangerous and addictive than more popular sites like Facebook and MySpace, according to Storey.

Storey said Chatroulette works like this: if your teen has webcam and visits the site, all they need do is say that they are 16 years of age. Their webcam is connected to the webcam of a random stranger. Either person can decide to chat and watch the other, or hit the “next” button.

The wheel spins again to reveal another stranger.

"These web cameras are very dangerous," said Det. Mike Harris, of the Jefferson County District Attorney's office.

Chatroulette Map, a mash-up of the Chatroulette, grabs screen shots of people using the service and plots their locations through Internet IP addresses, making the site less anonymous.

"As a parent, imagine your child sitting in the perceived safety of his or her bedroom while an infinite number of strangers are lined up in the hall to go into the room and meet with your child face-to-face," said Storey. "That’s Chatroulette in a nutshell."

Chatroulette parties are also emerging from this site. Teens get together at a party to spin the roulette wheel, then view and chat with strangers for entertainment. Peer pressure can make teens say and do things with strangers that they normally would not do when they are alone, Storey said.

Parents need to be aware of the potential graphic nature of this new Internet phenomenon and take steps to ensure that their children are protected from the actions of strangers on Chatroulette as well as other Internet sites, Storey said.

In the 20 minutes 7News spent with Harris, numerous "R-rated" videos popped up on the screen immediately. In some cases, the men began innocent chats, but within seconds turned dirty.

The District Attorney’s Child Sex Offender Internet Investigations Unit takes a proactive approach to online predators. The unit is headed by Harris who routinely takes Internet safety classes into school.

“Kids are our best source of intelligence,” Harris said. “We learned about this site from students at a presentation we did at Jefferson Academy. The kids know what’s going on online, and it’s our job to keep them safe.”

“Webcams may be a great way to stay in touch with family and friends across the country, but they are dangerous for kids who do not always use good judgment," said Harris. "Our biggest concern is that you never know who is capturing your video at the other end. When any information -- video, text or photo -- is sent into cyberspace, it is gone forever."

A recent undercover investigation by the Cyber Crimes Unit of the Texas Attorney General revealed that nearly half of the randomly selected users encountered by investigators immediately exposed themselves and conducted sexually explicit acts on camera.

“We recommend that parents be cautious before providing your teen with a webcam,” said Storey. “Most laptop computer come equipped with webcams, but they can be disabled.”

The popular Web site now gets around 1.5 million visitors daily.

For more information about Internet safety go to www.districtattorney1.com.