Online Friendship Leads to Abduction and Torture
If you’ve been following this blog, you know that I am usually one to downplay the kind of fear mongering that is used to sell blocking software online or boost the ratings of another special television report about online predators. However, I seem to be finding a lot of interesting text and video this weekend about real-life worst-case-scenarios where online safety is concerned.
This is the story of a shy, pretty, smart teen in Pittsburgh, PA. She became enamored of social networks because she felt like she had more confidence and control online than she did in her day-to-day life. Another thing that made her feel good online was the conversations she was having with an older man who made her feel mature and sexy.
Eventually her “friend” asked to meet her in real life. Although the girl was a bit hesitant, she decided to meet him. That decision lead to her abduction. Once in the basement of the man’s townhouse she was stripped, collared and chained, and broadcast on a webcam so that other predators could see her tortured and abused. One of the members of this “audience” had enough of a conscience to tip off the police.
Watch this harrowing video to find out the rest of the story.
October 27th, 2008 at 1:53 pm
I agree fear mongering is bad… but why play down reality? True the statistics may be low of kids that actually fall victim, but that doesn’t mean the sickos aren’t out there? If you have 50 kids playing on a field where there is a ton of broken glass and rusty nails, only 1 kid may get hurt, but you can’t deny the fact that the glass and nails are there and every child is at risk. if the parents make the kids wear knee and elbow pads, the risk is reduced.
If you are a parent and your child is forming a relationship online that is serious enough to reach a point where they meet in real life and you DON’T know about it - you’re a very very bad parent. Certainly not one that deserves to exist in the 21st century.