---------------------- Forwarded by Judy Hernandez/HOU/ECT on 10/05/2000 
02:21 PM ---------------------------


"SOCORRO HERNANDEZ" <SUHERNAN@LLGM.COM> on 10/05/2000 12:33:36 PM
To: <Judy.Hernandez@enron.com>, <smanzanales@jw.com>, <Maria.Soliz@ppfa.org>, 
<bandama@ssa.co.orange.ca.us>, <maryloulou@yahoo.com>
cc:  
Subject: Fwd: Kids on the Internet


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Date: Thu, 05 Oct 2000 11:06:04 -0400
From: "MICHAEL SODOLAK" <MSODOLAK@LLGM.COM>
To: <AGUEVARA@LLGM.COM>,"ANDREW KEITH DAW" <AKDAW@LLGM.COM>, 
<BMONTE@LLGM.COM>, <CLBROWN@LLGM.COM>, <CMARTINE@LLGM.COM>, "DORIS RODRIGUEZ" 
<DRODRIGU@LLGM.COM>, <HNORMAN@LLGM.COM>, <JVEGA@LLGM.COM>, 
<KMADDREY@LLGM.COM>, <KMOORE@LLGM.COM>, <KROBERTS@LLGM.COM>, 
<MSODOLAK@LLGM.COM>, <MTHOMPSO@LLGM.COM>, <RWJONES@LLGM.COM>, 
<SARRIAGA@LLGM.COM>, <SBARKER@LLGM.COM>, <SUHERNAN@LLGM.COM>, 
<THARE@LLGM.COM>, <VFARRELL@LLGM.COM>
Subject: Kids on the Internet
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True Story - many of you probably already know about the pitfalls, traps, and 
predators on the internet, but this is something to consider for your 
children and families.  This story is something those of you with children 
who are home alone and/or enjoy chat rooms, talk groups, buddy lists etc 
should be aware of.  Share this with others you think would benefit.  Thanks.


>> 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
>> 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: 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. 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.
>>
>> 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
>> 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 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's 14 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 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."
>>
>> 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"
>>
>> "I won't," Shannon promised solemnly.
>>
>> "Will you tell others about this so they will be safe
>> too?"
>>
>> "It's a promise!"
>>