Amy is a real-life example of a teen who encountered dangers online. Hear the true story of a 15-year old girl who left home to meet in person with a man she first met online.
Amy was already using the Internet at the public library and her school. Amy’s mother discovered that Amy had been sharing personal conversations with Bill, whom she had "met" in an online chatroom. Read Amy’s mother’s account of what happened.
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On April 8, 2003, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children received a CyberTipline report revealing the online identity of a man allegedly attempting to lure a 12-year-old child to meet him for sexual purposes. When NCMEC's Exploited Child Unit staff members conducted thorough Internet searches, they quickly found a photograph of the 41-year-old suspect and learned that he lived in Tennessee. The information was immediately forwarded to the Knoxville Police Department. A Knoxville police officer took on an undercover identity of a child under the age of 13 and began online correspondence with the suspect, which led to specific plans to meet so the suspect could engage with sexual activity with the child. The suspect arrived at a Knoxville hotel and was taken into custody. He was charged with the attempted rape of a child.
On October 23, 2002, NCMEC’s Exploited Child Unit received a CyberTipline report from the concerned parents of a child in Miami, Florida, reporting that a man their daughter had befriended over the Internet was now harassing her over the telephone and via mail. NCMEC’s Exploited Child Unit analysts ran searches on the suspect's E-mail address using the AutoTrack™ and Accurint ™ databases and were able to validate the suspect's name and address in Modesto, California. The CyberTipline report was forwarded to the Stanislaus County (CA) Sheriff's Department, and investigators learned the suspect was under investigation by the FBI in Tampa, Florida, for sending sexually provocative materials to a 13-year-old girl. In November 2002 the suspect's computer was seized and investigators found 150 potential victims he had been communicating with online. So far eight of those potential victims were found to have actually been victimized. On February 20, 2003, the 71-year-old suspect was arrested on 13 felony counts of child molestation, attempted child molestation, and attempted manufacturing of child pornography.
On July 14, 2003, NCMEC received a CyberTipline report from an individual concerned that her 44-year-old friend would try to entice a 12-year-old child he had been chatting with online into meeting and engaging in sexual activity. Through various Internet and public-record searches, NCMEC’s Exploited Children Unit analysts found both the suspect and child to be located in Wisconsin. Because it was clear in the information provided by the reporting person that the suspect was making plans to travel to meet the child and engage in sexual activity, the analysts notified the Wisconsin Department of Justice Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Investigators were able to locate the child and, with her cooperation, assumed her online identity in order to correspond with the suspect. On August 29, 2003, Task Force agents, working in conjunction with the Wausau Police Department, obtained a search warrant, seized his computer, and arrested the suspect.
On September 12, 2002, NCMEC’s Exploited Child Unit received a CyberTipline report from a relative of a 14-year-old girl concerned about the child's online relationship with a 37-year-old man from Michigan. An E-mail search led to an online profile with the suspect's location, the child victim's name, and details about his relationship with the child. AutoTrack™ public-record database searches confirmed the suspect's name, age, address, and telephone number. The CyberTipline report was forwarded to the Michigan State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the Snohomish County (WA) Sheriff's Office. In October 2002 investigators determined that the suspect had flown to Washington and engaged in sexual activity with the girl. Child pornography was also found on the suspect's computer. The suspect was charged with multiple counts of Rape of a Child II, Child Molestation II, and Communicating with a Minor for Immoral Purposes.
On January 31, 2003, NCMEC received a CyberTipline report from a West Virginia woman stating that she found sexually explicit E-mails her niece had received from an individual living in Pennsylvania. NCMEC’s Exploited Child Unit staff members conducted Internet and public database searches to confirm the information provided in the report and then contacted the Pennsylvania State Police. On February 5, 2003, authorities raided the suspect's house and found him to be a 39-year-old man. The suspect confessed to trying to lure the child and admitted that he had been talking to her for approximately three years. He further stated that there was child pornography on his computer. The suspect has been arrested and charged with sexual abuse of minors, unlawful contact or communication with minors, and corruption of minors.
The St. Paul Police Department contacted NCMEC’s Exploited Child Unit on August 3, 2001, to report a tip they had received about a convicted sex offender who was planning to travel to Scotland to meet an 8-year-old Scottish girl and her mother who he had befriended online. NCMEC’s Exploited Child Unit analysts immediately conducted public- database searches and provided police in St. Paul with identifying information about the suspect. NCMEC contacted New Scotland Yard’s Paedophile Unit to inform them that this sex offender may travel to their area with the intent to meet a child. Authorities then began receiving seized E-mail messages from the suspect’s Internet Service Provider. They provided NCMEC with this information including an E-mail the child in Scotland had sent the suspect, in which the child referred to him as “Grandpa.” On August 8, 2001, New Scotland Yard contacted NCMEC with information that the 48-year-old suspect had been stopped at the airport when he arrived in the country. He was denied entry into Scotland and returned to the United States. The following day, before the suspect arrived home, authorities executed a search warrant on the home of the suspect and seized his computer, magazines, a video camera and videotapes. Initial forensics revealed that the suspect had graphic child pornography on his home computer. In addition they found E-mail correspondence between the suspect and other young girls who also refer to him as “Grandpa.” The suspect was arrested.
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