Not a chain letter, but of importance for KIDS

[Guest guest]

This says it all. I'm a strong believer in teaching this to our youngsters,

and people like us!!!

Dawn (not my real name)

>

> A Warning for Kids and Parents....

> > > > >

> > > > > could hear the footsteps behind her as she

> > > > > walked toward home. The thought of being followed

> > > > > made her heart beat faster. " You're being silly, " she

> > > > > told herself, " no one is following you. " To be safe,

> > > > > she began to walk faster, but the footsteps kept up

> > > > > with her pace. She was afraid to look back and she

> > > > > was glad she was almost home.

> > > > >

> > > > > said a quick prayer, " God please get me

> > > > > home safe. " She saw the porch light burning and

> > > > > ran the rest of the way to her house. Once inside,

> > > > > she leaned against the door for a moment, relieved

> > > > > to be in the safety of her home. She glanced out the

> > > > > window to see if anyone was there. The sidewalk

> > > > > was empty. 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 kewl.

> > > > >

> > > > > GoTo123: 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 seventh 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 ball park 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 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. "

> > > > > moved cautiously to a chair across from the man

> > > > > 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 find 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 give out too much information to

> > > > > people on-line. You told me enough about yourself to

> > > > > make it easy for me to find you. Your name, 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. "

> > > > >

> > > > > " I won't, " promised solemnly.

> > > > > " Will you 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 prayed. They thanked God for

> > > > > protecting from what could have been a

> > > > > tragic situation.

> > > > >

> > > > > *********************

> > > > > Please send this to as many people as you can to

> > > > > teach them not to give any information about

> > > > > themselves. This world we live in today is too

> > > > > dangerous to even give out your age, let alone

> > > > > anything else.

> > > > >

> > > > > EVEN FORWARD THIS TO PEOPLE WITHOUT

> > > > > KIDS SO THEY CAN SEND IT TO FRIENDS >>

>