Perverts have of course always existed. If you have any evidence the rate of child molestation or abduction has increased, I'd love to see it.
I'm well aware the public perception of this problem has increased, but I've never seen any evidence that the danger of it has.
Public perception causes parents to become more restrictive. Gone are the days when a mother put her children outside and told them to go play until lunch. My neighborhood had most mothers home raising their children and looking out for one another. Now they need play dates and times are arranged for those. Yes, there were instances of child abduction back then, but they pale in comparison to the horror stories we have now. Just take a look around, life is not the same as the 50s, 60s, or the 70s. Times have changed, children’s play habits have changed as well.