Weymouth - Julie, 13, never had a friend who understood her so well until she went on the Internet and met Tom, who identified himself as a teenage boy.
For months, they talked about their hobbies, school, and career dreams by exchanging e-mails and instant messages, a computer program that allows people to send comments and receive replies almost instantly.
“I was 13 years old, and I needed somebody to talk to,” Julie said in a video shown to parents during a recent Internet safety forum at Chapman Middle School in Weymouth.
Julie and Tom’s friendship became more personal as the months went by.
Tom understood her better than anyone.
They chatted for hours online over a period of months.
“I trusted Tom more than anybody else,” Julie said.
Tom suggested it would be nice if Julie was with him all the time, and they decided to run away to Reno, Nevada.
“I kissed all my brothers good night,” Julie said while recalling Tom’s arrival in his pickup truck.
The adventure quickly turned into a nightmare when Julie realized Tom was not a boy.
“He did not act, or even sound like, a 56-year-old man,” Julie said.
Tom took Julie with him, and her parents notified police when they discovered she was missing.
The saga ended when a witness saw the truck and notified police.
Officers intercepted the truck and arrested Tom for kidnapping.
“He will be in jail for 25 years,” Julie said. “He sent me a letter saying he was going to kill me if he ever got out of jail.”
Daniel Feeney, director of juvenile programs for Norfolk County District Attorney William Keating, said that a story like “Julie’s Journey” does not usually have a happy ending.
“Cases like this are not solved in an hour like they are on ‘CSI Miami,’ complete with commercials,” Feeney said. “The myth TV shows says to kids is that adults will save the day, just like they see the guys on TV do. If a kid is taken by an Internet predator, the chances are great he or she will not be seen again, and he or she will disappear.”
He said this stark reality is occurring in the United States despite the nationwide Amber Alert system and displays of missing children on the sides of milk cartons.
“There will not be a happy ending,” Feeney said. “I really wish there was a happy ending.”
He said the Internet has spawned a need for parents to protect their children from online predators, cyber bullies, and accessing pornography.
“There needs to be communication between parents and children,” Feeney said. “Kids do have a way of getting under our nerves, but we have to make sure that kids have an adult they can go to share their fears or concerns if a parent can’t deal with a youngster or is unwilling to do so.”
He said if his message on Internet safety seems scary, it is because the threat of online predators is very real.
“Young girls for some reason are our biggest case victims,” said State Trooper David McSweeney, who specializes in online crime investigations for Keating.
He said youngsters seem to let their guard down while talking with somebody they don’t know online because they don’t feel endangered while communicating in the comfort of their home.
“They will then go ahead and set up a meeting with their online friend,” McSweeney said.
Feeney said that middle school children are often susceptible to online predators because they are going through an awkward stage.
“They may be sensitive to criticism,” he said. “Kids can be critical and cruel to other kids at certain ages.”
Feeney said that online predators will gain the trust of a potential victim by flattering them.
“The online predator will find the right button to push,” he said. “Remember the old adage that if something seems too good to be true, it usually isn’t.”
Feeney said that teens can be vulnerable to a predator by posting a picture of themselves along with their identity, the school they attend, and their hometown.
“My space.com is fertile ground for online predators to look at,” Feeney said. “On My Space, kids often create a profile of themselves. Anything a kid puts online is accessible to somebody.”
He said parents should not allow their child to have an online profile to diminish their exposure to would-be predators.
“We used to say, be careful about what you post in an online profile,” Feeney said. “Now we believe kids are better off to not have an online profile at all.”
Some parents said that not allowing their child to have an online profile is practical because the kids can post details about themselves on a friend’s computer.
“You need to get to know the parents of other children,” Feeney said. “If this is a problem, you should try to meet with other parents to see what can be done to have a joint effort to discourage online profile postings.”
He added that a child should not arrange to meet an individual he or she is talking with online.
The forum gave details about cyber-bullying to parents.
This type of intimidation occurs when a youth sends a threatening e-mail to a peer or distributes embarrassing details about an individual to his or her classmates.
“Do not respond to messages that are threatening,” Feeney said. “If you feel uncomfortable with the message, print a copy of the message and give it to the police. Save these documents. You should also place the computer in a common area of the home such as a den or a family room. A computer should never be in a child’s bedroom.”
He said electronic threats are considered criminal harassment under Massachusetts law and prosecutors do charge youngsters regardless of how old they are.
“A judge won’t buy the line, I was just kidding,” Feeney said. “They will look at just the letter of the law when deciding the matter.”
He said that threatening notes can be traced back to the sender by law enforcement with computer forensic technology.
“Using a computer is like taking a walk in the snow and leaving behind footprints,” Feeney said. “Your son or daughter needs to realize they have to take these legalities seriously.”
He said a youngster who makes a threat to a classmate or against a school can be expelled by the principal.
“A kid that is kicked out of school will say they have the right to be in school,” Feeney said. “However, the law gives principals the right to kick a kid out if they feel the kid is a threat, and the principal can prevent the student from attending school until the courts decide the case, and that can drag on for months.”
He said teens should realize the legal consequences of sending pornography online by e-mail from their computer or cell phone.
“Some girls will send revealing pictures of themselves,” Feeney said. “If they are under age 18, they can be prosecuted even if the picture is of themselves. They will then have a permanent (criminal) record.”
He said a criminal record is not something a youth should have these days because employers are doing more extensive background checks on applicants to prevent workplace violence.
“Kids need to realize they must take responsibility for their actions,” Feeney said.
He said the best way to keep kids safe online and out of legal trouble is to talk with them and be involved in their lives.
“You don’t have to understand the latest computer technology to keep them safe,” Feeney said. “The important thing to do is to communicate with them.”
The presentation by Feeney and McSweeney was part of an outreach by Chapman educators to inform parents and students about Internet safety.
“All of our students heard the presentation,” principal Sheila Fisher said after the forum. “We had all of our fifth graders learn about Internet safety as a part of our curriculum.”
She said getting 75 parents to attend the program on a cold night was impressive.
“We always want to have more parents attend, but having 75 people here tonight is good,” Fisher said.
Additional information about keeping children safe on line can be obtained at the following websites; www. Netsmartzkids.org, , and www.ncmec.org., (National Center For Missing And Exploited Children)
For months, they talked about their hobbies, school, and career dreams by exchanging e-mails and instant messages, a computer program that allows people to send comments and receive replies almost instantly.
“I was 13 years old, and I needed somebody to talk to,” Julie said in a video shown to parents during a recent Internet safety forum at Chapman Middle School in Weymouth.
Julie and Tom’s friendship became more personal as the months went by.
Tom understood her better than anyone.
They chatted for hours online over a period of months.
“I trusted Tom more than anybody else,” Julie said.
Tom suggested it would be nice if Julie was with him all the time, and they decided to run away to Reno, Nevada.
“I kissed all my brothers good night,” Julie said while recalling Tom’s arrival in his pickup truck.
The adventure quickly turned into a nightmare when Julie realized Tom was not a boy.
“He did not act, or even sound like, a 56-year-old man,” Julie said.
Tom took Julie with him, and her parents notified police when they discovered she was missing.
The saga ended when a witness saw the truck and notified police.
Officers intercepted the truck and arrested Tom for kidnapping.
“He will be in jail for 25 years,” Julie said. “He sent me a letter saying he was going to kill me if he ever got out of jail.”
Daniel Feeney, director of juvenile programs for Norfolk County District Attorney William Keating, said that a story like “Julie’s Journey” does not usually have a happy ending.
“Cases like this are not solved in an hour like they are on ‘CSI Miami,’ complete with commercials,” Feeney said. “The myth TV shows says to kids is that adults will save the day, just like they see the guys on TV do. If a kid is taken by an Internet predator, the chances are great he or she will not be seen again, and he or she will disappear.”
He said this stark reality is occurring in the United States despite the nationwide Amber Alert system and displays of missing children on the sides of milk cartons.
“There will not be a happy ending,” Feeney said. “I really wish there was a happy ending.”
He said the Internet has spawned a need for parents to protect their children from online predators, cyber bullies, and accessing pornography.
“There needs to be communication between parents and children,” Feeney said. “Kids do have a way of getting under our nerves, but we have to make sure that kids have an adult they can go to share their fears or concerns if a parent can’t deal with a youngster or is unwilling to do so.”
He said if his message on Internet safety seems scary, it is because the threat of online predators is very real.
“Young girls for some reason are our biggest case victims,” said State Trooper David McSweeney, who specializes in online crime investigations for Keating.
He said youngsters seem to let their guard down while talking with somebody they don’t know online because they don’t feel endangered while communicating in the comfort of their home.
“They will then go ahead and set up a meeting with their online friend,” McSweeney said.
Feeney said that middle school children are often susceptible to online predators because they are going through an awkward stage.
“They may be sensitive to criticism,” he said. “Kids can be critical and cruel to other kids at certain ages.”
Feeney said that online predators will gain the trust of a potential victim by flattering them.
“The online predator will find the right button to push,” he said. “Remember the old adage that if something seems too good to be true, it usually isn’t.”
Feeney said that teens can be vulnerable to a predator by posting a picture of themselves along with their identity, the school they attend, and their hometown.
“My space.com is fertile ground for online predators to look at,” Feeney said. “On My Space, kids often create a profile of themselves. Anything a kid puts online is accessible to somebody.”
He said parents should not allow their child to have an online profile to diminish their exposure to would-be predators.
“We used to say, be careful about what you post in an online profile,” Feeney said. “Now we believe kids are better off to not have an online profile at all.”
Some parents said that not allowing their child to have an online profile is practical because the kids can post details about themselves on a friend’s computer.
“You need to get to know the parents of other children,” Feeney said. “If this is a problem, you should try to meet with other parents to see what can be done to have a joint effort to discourage online profile postings.”
He added that a child should not arrange to meet an individual he or she is talking with online.
The forum gave details about cyber-bullying to parents.
This type of intimidation occurs when a youth sends a threatening e-mail to a peer or distributes embarrassing details about an individual to his or her classmates.
“Do not respond to messages that are threatening,” Feeney said. “If you feel uncomfortable with the message, print a copy of the message and give it to the police. Save these documents. You should also place the computer in a common area of the home such as a den or a family room. A computer should never be in a child’s bedroom.”
He said electronic threats are considered criminal harassment under Massachusetts law and prosecutors do charge youngsters regardless of how old they are.
“A judge won’t buy the line, I was just kidding,” Feeney said. “They will look at just the letter of the law when deciding the matter.”
He said that threatening notes can be traced back to the sender by law enforcement with computer forensic technology.
“Using a computer is like taking a walk in the snow and leaving behind footprints,” Feeney said. “Your son or daughter needs to realize they have to take these legalities seriously.”
He said a youngster who makes a threat to a classmate or against a school can be expelled by the principal.
“A kid that is kicked out of school will say they have the right to be in school,” Feeney said. “However, the law gives principals the right to kick a kid out if they feel the kid is a threat, and the principal can prevent the student from attending school until the courts decide the case, and that can drag on for months.”
He said teens should realize the legal consequences of sending pornography online by e-mail from their computer or cell phone.
“Some girls will send revealing pictures of themselves,” Feeney said. “If they are under age 18, they can be prosecuted even if the picture is of themselves. They will then have a permanent (criminal) record.”
He said a criminal record is not something a youth should have these days because employers are doing more extensive background checks on applicants to prevent workplace violence.
“Kids need to realize they must take responsibility for their actions,” Feeney said.
He said the best way to keep kids safe online and out of legal trouble is to talk with them and be involved in their lives.
“You don’t have to understand the latest computer technology to keep them safe,” Feeney said. “The important thing to do is to communicate with them.”
The presentation by Feeney and McSweeney was part of an outreach by Chapman educators to inform parents and students about Internet safety.
“All of our students heard the presentation,” principal Sheila Fisher said after the forum. “We had all of our fifth graders learn about Internet safety as a part of our curriculum.”
She said getting 75 parents to attend the program on a cold night was impressive.
“We always want to have more parents attend, but having 75 people here tonight is good,” Fisher said.
Additional information about keeping children safe on line can be obtained at the following websites; www. Netsmartzkids.org, , and www.ncmec.org., (National Center For Missing And Exploited Children)
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