something to think about when online

[Tari]

MYSPACE: A Must Read for All

 

EVERYONE NEEDS TO READ ALL OF THIS and HAVE CHILDREN READ IT TOO!

 

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 neighborhood?

 

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.

 

Her name: Shannon

Birthday: Jan. 3, 1985

Age: 13

State where she lived: North Carolina

 

Hobbies: softball, chorus, skating and going to the mall. Besides this information, he knew she lived in Canton because she had just told him. He knew she stayed by herself until 6:30 p.m. every afternoon until her parents came home from work. He knew she played softball on Thursday afternoons on the school team, and the team was named the Canton Cats. Her favorite number 7 was printed on her jersey. He knew she was in the eighth grade at the Canton Junior High School . 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 toShannon'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. Tell others about this so they will be safe too?"

 

"It's a promise!"

 

That night Shannon and her Dad and Mom all knelt down together and thanked God for protecting Shannon from what could have been a tragic situation.

[judygram]

This is so true, Tari, and thanks for posting this to remind everyone to be careful on the internet, especially the children. As parents, they need to know and be more involved in what their kids are doing on the computer, as there is always that pervert that preys on the unsuspecting and naive.

[lovemyGreys]

So true Tari, I keep a close eye on my children when they are chatting on the Internet even tho they are 14 & 19, you just never know who is on the other end of a conversation.Thanks for bringing this here as a reminder .

[judygram]

It kind of makes you wonder if any of those kind of people are lurking on this site, they could be anywhere.

[Toni]

Gave me the freakin chills cause my 10 year old niece goes online when her mom isnt home snd her 14 year old sister watches her. So scarey. Im emailing her this. Thanx alot Tari.

[Talon]

I have read this several times before. And I have head my kids read it more than once, as a reminder. (and they will read it here again today) I have taught them never to give out their birth date or what town and school they go to. You can't be too safe these days now that we have brought the outside world into our homes. I hope all parents here have their children read this, you can never be too careful when it comes to your children.

[Tari]

Its not just about the kids. Awful things have happened to adults that are not careful on line.

We all need to watch what we say as far as personal info we give out to people on the internet.

[Talon]

That's true Tari, but we as adults can better protect ourselves. Our kids only have us to do that for them, and have to be taught. That was a very good teaching lesson that you posted, and there is definitely a lesson in it for all of us.

Karma for you on reminding us to be careful.