A Must Read for All

[Guest guest]

One of you sent this to me () Now, this is just a story but it does make

the point clear.....And, this is the reason I do not want any of you giving out

your personal information in your posts. If you want someone to have your

address or phone number please send to that person only. Blessings,Joanne

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:

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.

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, 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 '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 's house. He

drove to a fast food restaurant and sat there until time to make his

move

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

living room.

', 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.'

sat back. How could he tell her parents anything? She had never

seen him before today!

'Do you know who I am, ?' the man

asked.

'No,' answered.

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

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, , 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.'

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 and her Dad and Mom all knelt

down together and thanked God for protecting from what could have

been a tragic situation.

____________________________________________________________

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[Guest guest]

Joanne,

Thank you for the print out about the teen and the internet " friend " . I

work with kids and we go over this but you print out may be more convincing and

help someone.

Thanks again, I've seen this type of thing before but never kep a copy I

could use!

Nina in Bellevue, PBC stage2; Fibromyalgia; OA

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