> Everyone should read this, it can happen to anyone! > > >>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!" That night > Shannon and her dad and Mom all knelt > down > >>together and prayed. They thanked > God for protecting Shannon from > what > >could > >>have been a tragic situation. > >> > >>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. > >> > >>Be safe. > >> > >>PLEASE PASS THIS ON! It could > happen to adults, too! > > --part0_920457786_boundary-- >