>I'm passing this along as so many children are on the internet today.


>  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 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's name
>
>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 got home. 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.
>
>Next Thursday, Shannon's 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 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.
>
>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! Goto123 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. 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!"
>
>Valerah Hodges

Purchasing Control Coordinator
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
Purchasing Department
Phone # (423) 755-4461; Fax #  (423) 755-5332
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