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Thread: Can your child be found...

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    Silver Member Vincent's Avatar
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    Can your child be found...

    On Monday night (15-09-2008) 3rd Degree aired a program about internet predators and it reminded me of an email I received. I would like to share it with TFSA

    Long...but worth the read.

    After tossing her books on the sofa, she decided to grab a snack and get on-line. She logged on under her screen name ByAngel213. She checked her Buddy List and saw GoTo123 was on. She sent him an instant message:

    ByAngel213:
    Hi. I'm glad you are on! I thought someone was following me home today. It was really weird!

    GoTo123:
    LOL You watch too much TV. Why would someone be following you?
    Don't you live in a safe neighbourhood?

    ByAngel213:
    Of course I do. LOL I guess it was my imagination cuz' I didn't see anybody when I looked out.

    GoTo123:
    Unless you gave your name out on-line. You haven't done that have you?

    ByAngel213:
    Of course not. I'm not stupid you know.

    GoTo123:
    Did you have a softball game after school today?

    ByAngel213:
    Yes and we won!!

    GoTo123:
    That's great! Who did you play?

    ByAngel213:
    We played the Hornets. LOL. Their uniforms are so gross! They look like bees. LOL

    GoTo123:
    What is your team called?

    ByAngel213:
    We are the Canton Cats. We have tiger paws on our uniforms. They are really cool.

    GoTo1 23:
    Did you pitch?

    ByAngel213:
    No I play second base. I got to go. My homework has to be done before my parents get home. I don't want them mad at me. Bye!

    GoTo123:
    Catch you later. Bye

    Meanwhile.......GoTo123 went to the member menu and began to search for her profile. When it came up, he highlighted it and printed it out. He took out a pen and began to write down what he knew about Angel so far.

    He Knew:
    Her name: Shannon
    Birthday: Jan. 3, 1985
    Age: 13
    State where she lived: North Carolina

    1. Hobbies: softball, chorus, skating and going to the mall.
    2. Besides this information, he knew she lived in Canton because she had just told him.
    3. He knew she stayed by herself until 6:30 p.m.
    4. Every afternoon until her parents came home from work.
    5. He knew she played softball on Thursday afternoons on the school team, and the team was named the Canton Cats.
    6. Her favourite number 7 was printed on her jersey.
    7. He knew she was in the eighth grade at the Canton Junior High School .
    8. She had told him all this in the conversations they had on- line.

    He had enough information to find her now.

    Shannon didn't tell her parents about the incident on the way home from the ballpark that day. She didn't want them to make a scene and stop her from walking home from the softball games. Parents were always overreacting and hers were the worst. It made her wish she was not an only child. Maybe if she had brothers and sisters, her parents wouldn't be so overprotective.

    By Thursday, Shannon had forgotten about the footsteps following her.

    Her game was in full swing when suddenly she felt someone staring at her. It was then that the memory came back. She glanced up from her second base position to see a man watching her closely.

    He was leaning against the fence behind first base and he smiled when she looked at him. He didn't look scary and she quickly dismissed the sudden fear she had felt.

    After the game, he sat on a bleacher while she talked to the coach. She noticed his smile once again as she walked past him. He nodded and she smiled back. He noticed her name on the back of her shirt. He knew he had found her.

    Quietly, he walked a safe distance behind her. It was only a few blocks to Shannon 's home, and once he saw where she lived he quickly returned to the park to get his car.

    Now he had to wait. He decided to get a bite to eat until the time came to go to Shannon 's house. He drove to a fast food restaurant and sat there until time to make his move.

    Shannon was in her room later that evening when she heard voices in the living room.

    "Shannon, come here," her father called. He sounded upset and she couldn't imagine why. She went into the room to see the man from the ballpark sitting on the sofa.

    "Sit down," her father began, "this man has just told us a most interesting story about you."

    Shannon sat back. How could he tell her parents anything? She had never seen him before today!

    "Do you know who I am, Shannon ?" the man asked.

    "No," Shannon answered.

    "I am a police officer and your online friend, GoTo123."

    Shannon was stunned. "That's impossible! GoTo is a kid my age! He's 14. And he lives in Michigan!"

    The man smiled. "I know I told you all that, but it wasn't true. You see, Shannon , there are people on-line who pretend to be kids; I was one of them. But while others do it to injure kids and hurt them, I belong to a group of parents who do it to protect kids from predators. I came here to find you to teach you how dangerous it is to talk to people on-line. You told me enough about yourself to make it easy for me to find you. You named the school you went to, the name of your ball team and the position you played. The number and name on your jersey just made finding you a breeze."

    Shannon was stunned. "You mean you don't live in Michigan ?"

    He laughed. "No, I live in Raleigh It made you feel safe to think I was so far away, didn't it?"

    She nodded.

    "I had a friend whose daughter was like you. Only she wasn't as lucky. The guy found her and murdered her while she was home alone. Kids are taught not to tell anyone when they are alone, yet they do it all the time on-line. The wrong people trick you into giving out information a little here and there on-line.. Before you know it, you have told them enough for them to find you without even realizing you have done it. I hope you've learned a lesson from this and won't do it again."
    Last edited by Vincent; 17-Sep-08 at 12:03 AM. Reason: spelling
    Vincent Marino
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  2. #2
    Silver Member Vincent's Avatar
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    Hi Dave,
    Maybe should have posted this in the Chat forum under the social category, a better place than where it is now.
    Vincent Marino
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    Site Caretaker Dave A's Avatar
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    Thread moved...

    It really is a thought-provoking message, but I'm trying to put it in perspective. Especially in a South African context.

    How big is the "risk" difference between online socialising and "real world" socialising really?

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    Silver Member Vincent's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dave A View Post
    Thread moved...
    How big is the "risk" difference between online socialising and "real world" socialising really?
    I don't think there is much difference. I think the 'story' emphasis how information we give away to strangers on-line, whereas in the "real world," most people won't even consider speaking to a strange who just walked up to them and started a conversation.
    Take this case in point. I have 'spoken' to you on-line several times and yet if you approached me in the street and wanted to start a conversation, I would most likely decline.
    (anyway I'm not to sure who to talk to the Avatar or profile )
    Vincent Marino
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    Site Caretaker Dave A's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Vincent View Post
    Take this case in point. I have 'spoken' to you on-line several times and yet if you approached me in the street and wanted to start a conversation, I would most likely decline.
    And if I had foul intentions, declining conversation wouldn't matter. We're already in the same physical space

    Having kids of the age that are out there socialising nowadays got me thinking about the risk difference quite carefully. At first glance, there could be a real difference with a younger age group - pre-teen or young teen. But this group is still very vulnerable in the real world too.

    Again, if you have foul intentions, all that changes is how you pave the way to execute them. The real problem is the sicko count. Does online chat encourage these sickos to turn fantasy into reality, or could it perhaps be a release valve that reduces actual physical realisation?

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