Chat Nightmares of 2005 - Parents Beware of Internet
Predators
Another year over and the chat nightmares were quite
prevalent in the news stories again. It seems they are never-ending
and will continue to be unless parents teach children not too give
out too much information in chat rooms. Of course, they don't listen
anyway and I'll be sitting here next year writing about the same
horror stories as I am right now. I just hope I'm not writing about
your child. Parents need to monitor their
children on the computer on a daily basis or read about them in
a news story.
The following stories are true news stories with links to the original
stories here. If you don't think you
need to monitor your children or your spouse on the computer, read
on, one of these stories will likely change your mind.
Let's start with January of 2005 and see what some of the headlines
were about:
Ottawa County man indicted in sex case involving
boy, 13
An Ottawa County man is accused of having sex with
a 13-year-old boy. Where do you think the man met the 13 year old
boy? The boy told authorities he met him in November through an
Internet chat room. This story was published on January 15 and they
first started chatting in November. That's two whole months of chatting
that somebody should have known about. This one could have been
stopped with a monitoring program.
Missing girl found in Ohio
Man allegedly met Sacramento teen on Web
She was lured to the home of a 39-year-old man through an Internet
chat room, authorities said. The Internet is the wild, wild West
of today," Fong said. "It opens kids up to all kinds of
people feeding on them."
The targets are frequently girls age 13 to 15. Predators meet them
in Internet chat rooms and "groom" them through "electronic
flirting," Fong said.
In the case of the 15-year-old from Sacramento, authorities believe
she had been chatting on the Internet for "quite some time"
with several individuals.
Authorities said she was chatting for quite some time
interesting.
A CHILDREN'S charity last night criticized the
"lenient" two year sentence given to a man who admitted
having "cybersex" with a 14-year-old girl over the internet.
This is a story just to show you the kinds of things that go on
in chat rooms.
"He got in touch with the girl, of Clackmannanshire, through
an internet chat room after filling in an online profile in which
he declared himself to be 19. He performed a sex act on himself
as he watched the girl undress and pose in a sexually explicit manner
via a live web link."
Enough said for January - Let's see what February 2005 brings
us.
Policeman on underage sex charges
A VICTORIAN police officer started a sexual relationship with a
14-year-old girl after they met on an internet chat site, a Melbourne
court was told today. The alleged victim told the court she first
met Constable Howard on an internet chat site where they had conversations
up to four times a week which were often of a sexual nature.
She was chatting four times a week on a sexual nature with a police
officer - What a nightmare.
Man Accused Of Luring Girl From Internet Chat Room
Alleged victim was sexually assaulted. Salem man is accused of using
a computer chat room to commit sexual assault.
Police say the 23-year-old Hawkins contacted a teenaged girl in
a Yahoo chat room, lured her to his southeast Salem apartment and
sexually assaulted her.
Man Charged With Having Sex With Girl He Met
Online
Two Meet In Hotel Room Hours After Meeting On Internet
Authorities said the 14-year-old girl took a cab from Gilmanton
to Nashua to meet with the man. The two allegedly rendezvoused at
a Motel 6 a few hours after meeting online in a chat room dedicated
to sexual talk and behavior.
Police said parents need to know where their children are and who
they are talking to online.
"This type of activity is becoming more frequent," Sprankle
said. "The pedophiles that are looking to do this type of conduct
use the Internet."
Sometimes it takes months, sometimes only hours for contact - but
it happens. Don't let it happen to your
kid.
Let's take a look at some news headlines for March 2005
Man charged with inducing 14-year-old boy to
have sex - Youngstown State student met youth in Internet chat room
The man used the Internet to arrange sexual encounters twice last
year with the boy, who is now 15, according to the FBI and Beaver
County detectives.
According to an FBI affidavit, the man and the boy met in a homosexual
chat room in June and arranged a meeting. They didn't have sex that
time, according to the boy, but they did in September after Murdoch
picked him up at his home. The victim said they had sex again after
another online chat in July.
Again, they first started chatting in June and ended in September.
That's a long time in between for nobody to notice anything going
on.
Man Faces Sexual Assault Charges In Douglas,
Sarpy Counties
Omaha prosecutors said they are charging a man after he used instant
messaging and an Internet chat room to meet young boys. He is being
charged in Douglas County with sexual assault. He also has sexual
assault charges pending in Sarpy County and is on probation for
an incident with a 9- and 11-year-old. He met both boys on the Internet,
and then arranged to meet them in person.
Again, they met on the Net, but the prosecutors said this relationship
was sexual, and went on for months. They said Payne also had sexual
pictures of himself and the boy on his computer.
No much more I can say about March, but take a look at April
2005.
Lakewood man pleads guilty in Internet sex case
Lakewood man pleads guilty in Internet sex case - He was arrested
by Eureka Springs, Ark., police, county deputies and federal agents
on Dec. 3, 2004, at a Eureka Springs motel. He was there to meet
a 14-year-old girl he met in an Internet chat room.
His arrest followed a nearly four-month, online relationship between
the two.
Missing girl found in hotel with man - New Jersey
man allegedly had sex with seventh-grader he met on Internet
She left home carrying a teddy bear, he was waiting nearby with
promises of dinner and shopping trips. The two were later found
in a Clinton Township hotel after having sex, police said. "Here's
a good example of why parents have to be aware of what their kids
are doing when they're surfing the Internet," said Clinton
Township Detective Capt. Doug Mills.
I think Captain Doug Mills says it all.
On to May 2005
Cops say man lured girl from Kentucky for sex
Police yesterday arrested a 71-year-old man they say used an Internet
chat room to meet a 15-year-old Kentucky girl, lure her to his home
and then have sex with her.
Did you read that part about man being 71-years old? A 71-year old
posing as a teenager in a chat room. Hard to believe but true just
the same. You never know who your kids are chatting with. Do
you want to know yet?
Pervert posed as 18-year-old in chat room to
groom young girl
INTERNET pervert Oliver Jordan tried to snare a 12-year-old girl
by posing as a teen in a web chat room.
Beware the stranger in your house
Det. Sgt Darryl Preston, who led the investigation into the previous
case, said: "The main piece of advice I would give to parents
goes back to what we were told when we were young about stranger
danger - only now the stranger is in your living room.
"Parents need to be aware of who their children are talking
to; it's about keeping tabs and being interested in your child's
activities.
"Chat rooms alone are not the danger. The grooming process
extends beyond the internet to other forms of contact as the offender
tries to lure a child to a meeting. Most of the time there will
be personal correspondence, emails, letters, and sending money or
presents - the online chat room is often just a starting point.
Well said, Det Preston.
June 2005 was a busy month for the predators so here are just
a few of the headlines.
Teen Vanishes After Going To Meet A Friend
A local teenager left her home in Thurston County for school, and
never came back.
Now, her father is sharing his agonizing story. The one clue Heather's
father did find was on the family computer. He now knows (he
could have found out sooner) Heather had been visiting a dating
website where she put her picture online.
Do you know if your child's picture is online somewhere?
Man Accused of Enticing Children Over the Internet
For today's youth, the internet is a gold mine of information and
entertainment. Especially internet chat rooms. But it's these same
chat rooms where child predators have an open window to entice kids.
That's what police say this man was trying to do.
Child predator uses chat room to lure teenager
Harris County Sheriff's officials said a 14-year-old girl was sexually
assaulted during a face-to-face meeting with a man she met in an
Internet chat room. Sheriff's officials said the case should serve
as a warning to parents who allow their children to use the Internet
unmonitored. Enough said!
Take a look at some of the July 2005 stories.
Man accused of sexual contact with boy from chat
room
A Sheffield Township man who has been classified as a sexual predator
is facing charges of having sexual contact with a 15-year-old boy
he met in an Internet chat room, according to Lorain County records.
The man allegedly met a 15-year-old boy in a chat room online and
had sexual relations with him at his home between June and September
2004.
I'll bet they were chatting between June and September
.Ahem
Murray Bridge CIB arrest man for new internet
offence
It is alleged the man contacted a 15-year-old girl through an internet
chat room, and lured the child to his home. The 48-year-old man
was arrested on July 11. Sergeant Ferris said it was an important
reminder for parents to be vigilant when it came to the use of internet
chat rooms by their children.
"What seems like an innocent chat with someone of apparently
the same age, can in fact be anyone of any age," Sgt Ferris
said.
"It can be a fine line between invading your child's privacy
and monitoring their chat room conversations for their safety.
I couldn't have said it better myself Sgt Ferris.
Man Accused Of Luring 14-Year-Old Girl Into Sex
A Pennsylvania man is accused of using the Internet to lure a Missouri
teenager into having sex with him. Prosecutors said the 36-year-old
spent 18 months seducing a 14-year-old girl from Nodaway.
18 Months! They are a patient people.
August 2005 was an extremely busy month for Internet predators
- they know that schools out.
Forsyth homemaker charged with molesting 14-year-old
Authorities: 42-year-old woman met boy online, then seduced him
A 42-year-old Forsyth County housewife faces sex charges after authorities
say she seduced a 14-year-old boy over the Internet and then met
him for several sexual liaisons. "For two weeks to a month,
they chatted online," Moore said. "During that time, he
believed that she was 14 years old." - They chatted for two
weeks to a month!
Predators Lurking Inside Your Home?
If you're in your room feeling happy that your children are home
and safe, think again. You're probably not aware that a sexual predator
might be luring them at this very moment on the Internet with something
seemingly innocent. "Parents don't allow children to lock their
bedroom door, but they allow them to have secret passwords and have
online friends that they don't know," Many predators approach
children through online chat rooms, where they can pretend they're
caring friends or paternal figures.
That is exactly what they do and most parents don't even know but
they can find out.
Police: Accused rapist might have more victims
An accused rapist is charged with raping a 15-year-old girl from
St. Peters on Sunday, and he is accused of trapping a 16-year-old
Lebanon girl and her friend in his garage earlier this year. He
met the girls through online chat rooms. "I have a feeling
we're going to find more victims," Hertz said. "I hope
we don't, but something tells me we are."
Here are a couple headlines from September 2005.
Teen Murdered; Father Blames Chat Line
A South Side teenaged boy's body was found Aug. 18 in Diversey
Harbor-and the father believes that a chat line was ultimately to
blame, the Chicago Tribune reported. The teen's family last saw
him on Aug. 17. He had called his grandmother about 9 p.m. that
day to say he would return soon from seeing some friends, even though
his father said his son knew few people in the area
..Think
about that one
Cult Leader's son charged with rape
The son of an infamous cult leader was arrested in Oregon this
week on charges he sexually assaulted a 13-year-old girl at a Danvers
hotel. Police say the 30-year-old met the girl in an Internet chat
room and lured her to the hotel last week. The girl told police
that he had flown into Providence and picked her up in Braintree.
More headlines in October 2005
Abuser Groomed Boy Over Internet
A SEX beast who groomed a 14-year-old boy over the internet then
abused him on "countless occasions" was facing a lengthy
jail sentence last night.
The man, 21, admitted having unsafe sex with the vulnerable youngster
on an Ayrshire beach, in a hotel, in a house and in a car. Janice
Green, prosecuting, said: "They met in an internet chat room
in October 2004
..
This story headlined in October of 2005! That is a whole year of
chat room grooming - amazing that nobody knew. Somebody could have found out though.
Man, 29, admits to luring girl, 13, for sex
A 29-year-old California man admitted Tuesday he persuaded a 13-year-old
Zachary girl to lie to her parents, run away with him and have illegal
sex "because their age difference should not matter."
During Tuesday's hearing, Vasquez admitted he met the child in an
Internet chat room in December. The two began chatting "for
hours each day."
Chatting from December to October - "for hours each day"
There were many more headlines in November 2005
Minister Accused Of Trying To Meet Teen For Sex
An Ohio minister was arrested this week on suspicion of trying
to lure a 15-year-old girl into having sex. Over a five-day period,
police said, the 55-year-old allegedly spent time in an Internet
chat room. Investigators said, at one point, he solicited the teen
for sex and arranged to meet.
When children go out to play all alone on e-street
Too many parents haven't a clue what their kids are doing as they
use the Internet, experts warn, and that means they're being exposed
to dangers ranging from sexual predators to cyberbullying.
The phone rings and it's the dreaded call from your child's school.
Only this time, your daughter hasn't vomited, cheated on a test
or talked back to the teacher. She e-mailed a naked picture of herself
to a boy and it's now been seen by most of the school and, perhaps,
beyond.
Welcome to the age of parenting in a digital world. If I was her
parent, I would want to know about that picture before the rest
of the world seen it. There are programs available with the ability to stop this sort of thing.
December 2005 - supposed to be such a festive month
Sex offender arrested
Many think chat rooms are harmless, but for one young teenager,
her on-line messaging led to a dangerous encounter.
A convicted sex offender goes online and meets a young, local girl.
Now the man in his 30's is facing charges of rape. The rendezvous
happened in New Bedford . But they "met" in cyberspace
where police say the convicted sex offender was able to lure the
teen away from her home.
It was in an Internet chat room where they met at the beginning
of November. New Bedford Police Investigators tell Eyewitness News
the 31-year-old raped a thirteen year old girl this past weekend.
When the 13-year-old returned home, the mother noticed something
was different about her and then the girl told her what happened.
Too bad the mother didn't know who she was chatting with for over
a month.
Web-chat link in Girl's disappearance
THE distraught parents of a teenage girl missing for three days
believe she is with someone she met on an Internet chat site. They
have since been shocked to find an email contact list of more than
400 names and copies of emails their daughter had been sending and
receiving over a general Internet chat site.
A shame that wasn't found out sooner
She said her daughter, who had previously appeared happy, recently
became secretive and deceptive.
"Ever since she's had that (chat site) she's changed her personality,"
The mother said.
"It's as if she's been brainwashed into something."
Those are the signs of someone hooked on chat.
The headlines and stories are real news stories that happened in
2005. You can find all of the headlines and links to the original
stories here. Some of the links may
be dead links due to the fact that the Internet news sites don't
keep the stories up indefinitely.
You can find out more about computer monitoring
programs here. Don't let your child become a news story.
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