I've seen this story years ago. And the thing is, some may not be true but
they can teach a lesson.
I'm going to take this story to church tomorrow and share it with the teens
and children there who get on the Internet. I believe it can teach a great
lesson.
--Joshua 1:9 Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be
not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee
whithersoever thou goest.
Donna Miller
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----- Original Message -----
From: "Sharon Hooley" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Saturday, July 01, 2006 3:05 PM
Subject: Be careful what you say in cyber space
> Hi guys!
>
> Even if this story isn't true, I say it's common sense that this really
> can happen. Please read!
>
> Sharon
>
> Not only does this apply to our children and grandchildren, but to adults
> as
> well. Please take the time to read it and pass it on.
>
> 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 safely." 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 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 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. 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 eighth 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'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.
> 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!"
>
> NOW...
> Please send this to as many people as you can to teach them not to give
> any
> information about themselves. This world we live in today is too dangerous
> to even give out your age, let alone anything else. EVEN FORWARD THIS TO
> PEOPLE WITHOUT KIDS SO THEY CAN SEND IT TO FRIENDS THAT DO HAVE CHILDREN
> OR
> GRANDCHILDREN
>
>
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