JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- This community was shaken just a couple weeks ago in the death of 7-year-old Somer Thompson, who went went missing while walking home from school.

Two days later, her body was found in a Georgia landfill.

Somer's killing brings to the forefront the fact that children are targets in a dangerous world.

It's safe to say parents will do anything to protect their children. Knowing where your children are even when they're not with you is one way.

A company in Utah said it has a product that will give parents peace of mind.

It shipped the device overnight so Channel 4 could see it and test it.

It's called the Amber Alert GPS.

"We designed a product that gives parents the ability to track their kids where they go with the simplicity of cell phone texting," said Mark Hurst, an executive of the company, in a phone interview.

The device is so small it fits in the palm of your hand. The idea is parents give it to their children to wear on their belt loop, around their wrist or attach it to a bookbag.

Parents can monitor their child's whereabouts, and children can contact their parents if they need help.

"It works wherever there is GPS and cell technology available, it works," Hurst said.

Channel 4's Jennifer Bauer put the device to the test. The Amber Alert GPS was synched to her cell phone.

She and her photographer, Matt James, drove around with it in the back seat of their news car all day.

Later, they went online to see what it said. It tracked them.

They were able to see exactly where the device was all day long, from a state map to a city map and ultimately to a street map.

In an overhead Google Earth look at the Channel 4 studios, a blue dot that represented the GPS child tracker was visible.

At one point during the day, Bauer and her photographer drove down Butler Boulevard and the device transmitted a signal the entire time. When they looked up their tracking online later on, it told them how fast the car was moving and in what direction.

That's just one way the device works. If your child is wearing it, he or she also has the ability to call for help.

By pushing a button in the center, the GPS sends a "help me" message to the cell phone it's synched to.

Bauer had her cell phone synched, and her photographer took the device and left in a news car.

Once he got a few miles away, he pushed the "help me" button and waited for her to find him.

Within seconds, she was notified.

"OK, I just got a text message to my cell phone," Bauer said. "It's telling me the device is on River Road in San Marco. Let's see if we can go find it."

Every three to four minutes, her phone received an urgent text. "Help me," it said with a map of where the device was. It didn't take long for her to find it sitting on a bench in San Marco Park.

"I think it's a good idea," said Lauren Dean, who has a 2 1/2-year-old daughter and is expecting another child.

She said a device like this can't hurt, so why not use one.

"Hey, even teens," Dean said. "They say where they are and you know if they're telling the truth or not."

That raises a good ethical question: Is this device an invasion of your child's privacy?

Some might argue yes.

Hurst said parents need to get over feeling guilty.

"Forget that nonsense," Hurst said. "This is a dangerous world. Parents and kids just have to sit down and say, 'We're engaging in this technology because we love you. I'm passionate about you. This is for your safety.'"

For more information on the GPS device, go to www.amberalertgps.com.