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DoodlebearsShannon 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 as the footsteps
kept pace with her she was afraid to look back and was glad that
she was almost home.
Shannon said a quick prayer "God please get me home safe."
She saw the veranda light burning and she leaned against the
door she for a moment, relieved to be in the safety of her own
home.
She glanced out the window to see if anyone was there. The footpath
was empty....
After tossing her books on the lounge room table she decided
to grab a snack and get on-line.
She logged on under her screen name "ByAngel213."
She checked her Messenger list and saw her on-line friend
"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 neighbourhood?
ByAngel213: Of course I do. LOL I guess it was my
imagination cuz' I didn't see anyone 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 netball 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 ice-skaters. LOL
GoTo123: What is your team called?
ByAngel213: We are the Liverpool Cats. We have tiger paws on
our uniforms. They are really cool.
GoTo123: Did you shoot goals?
ByAngel213: No I play Goal Defence. I've got to go. My
homework has to be done before my parents get home. I don't want
them cranky 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 sofar.:
Her name: Shannon,
Birthday: Jan. 3, 1991, Age:13,
State where she lived: New South Wales,
Hobbies: Netball, Movies, skating and going to the mall.
Besides this information, he knew she lived in Liverpool
because she had just told him.
He knew she stayed by herself until 6:30p.m. every afternoon
until her parents came home from work.
He knew she played netball on Thursday afternoons on the
school team, and the team was named the Liverpool Cats. Her
favourite position GD was printed on her uniform.
He knew she was in the eighth grade at the Liverpool HighSchool.
She had told him all this in previous conversations they had 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 netball that day. She didn't want them to make a
scene and stop her from walking home from the courts. 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
Goal Circle position to see a man watching her closely. He was
leaning against the seats at the end of the Court 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 in the stand 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 the Burger joint and sat there
until time to make his move.
Shannon was in her room later that evening when she heard
voices in the lounge-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 netball
courts sitting on the lounge chair.
Sit down," her father began, "this man has 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! Go To is a kid my age!
He's 14 and he lives in Hobart!
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
Netball team and the position you played. The position and name on
your
jersey just made finding you a breeze." Shannon was stunned. You
mean you
don't live in Hobart?" He laughed. "No, I live in Sydney 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 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. Promise?"
That night Shannon and her dad and Mum all knelt down
together and thanked God for protecting Shannon from what could
have been a tragic situation.
*******************************************************************************************
Oh boy. Teach all your kids about this, it could have turned out so bad. Jane.
Pumpkin & Pickle BearsI've read this before - it certainly makes you think...
Goodness life is so different from when we grew up as kids, now that the Internet is here.
Scary and a good reminder to always be careful.
Hugs
Carolyn
Posts: 3,540The really sad part, is that I was taught police were your friends when I was growing up. When I moved to hubby's duplex when I was 20, there were problems in that town. A lot of girls were being kidnapped... gone missing. I was pretty sure I was being followed the one night trying to go home from the tire shop he owned...Eldon was away at the time, and I couldn't get in. A police car pulled over and asked me all sorts of stupid curfew questions, demanding my id. When I'd proved to him I was more than old enough to be walking on the sidewalk on a Sunday afternoon, I told him I felt like I was being followed (and was more than a little scared) I asked if he would drive me to the duplex. His response ~ "I'm not a taxi service!" I couldn't believe it as I stared at his stupid insignia on the side of the car... "to serve and protect".
No, I didn't get snatched because I was pretty sure whoever was following me got scared off by the cop. But it did make me re evaluate my thinking about who to trust exactly.
Incidentally, for anyone reading this... if you ever feel like you are being followed NEVER go directly home!!! I know it seems stupid. But when we are scared we instantly flee to where we feel most safe ~ home. However, this leads an attacker directly to where you live. Its better to go to a safe place, like a grocery store, convienence store, or other busy public place... like a library or mall. From there phone your parents, or friends, or the police, and ask them to come collect you. Personally I'd go to yet another place before going home, but I'm just ultra cautious. In the long run, this may seem ridiculous, but it can save you. I've had to do this as well walking home from work. I had an annoying black man on a bicycle instantly circle me as soon as I started walking home. I couldn't very well walk home ~ he'd know where I lived. So instead I ducked into the nice Diving shop next to where I worked....full of very large, very burly men that knew me from work. They were more than happy to peek out the shop door to spot the man. Just the sight of several large 'goons' was enough to make him go away, never to return. But they were more than happy for me to stay in the shop, even offered to take me home. Moral.... if you think you're being followed, better to take some extra time and stay safe 
Matilda Huggington-beareAlways err on the side of caution!!! If you think you are being followed. That's because you are! If you think you are in danger, thats because you are!
My best friend paid a security firm her savings' for three months of 24/7 security until they caught the guy that was following her.
I was being kiddnapped by a Taxi driver late one night. As he turned a corner I rolled out of the car and hid in bush's in peoples gardens. I watched this driver circle continuously trying to find me.
When I finally got home and waited in shadows until he had turned the corner of my street I snuck inside. I didnt turn the lights on because then he would know that was my place. Since the other houses were in darkness.
Thank goodness that I only gave my suburb and main street not my actual address.
As each day goes past I find my self becoming ever more trusting online. :redface:
Take care folks and be aware!!
Thankyou for the warning Jane! :hug: :hug:
