For those of you with children and/or grandchildren, please take note and
pass on to friends. !!!!!
Shannon 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. Shannon said a quick
prayer, "God please get me home safe." She saw the porch light burning and
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:
By Angel213:
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.
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: 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. everyafternoon
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 eight 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
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, 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 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 is14
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 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 talk 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."
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!"
_______________________________________
Isn't that good? I think that we all need to read this every once in awhile!
I felt very naughty." -Danae Doyle
