Comments on: Missing Boy Left Clues On The Internet

Shawn Hornbeck, Parents May Have Crossed Paths Online; He Visited Sites, Posted Photos

[proudmom01]

We should all be happy that both boys were found alive. I have an 8 year old son and I couldn't even imagine living through that kind of hell. No one knows what that sick creep was telling Shawn to make him stay. I don't think that either child had I terrible life at home. Shawn's step dad was in the process of adopting Shawn when he was abducted. Shawn has already stated that he wants to proceed with the adoption.

Michael Devlin's attorney said that they fear for his safety while in jail and are keeping him away from the rest of the inmates. I say let the inmates have at him. Michael Devlin did not have any regard for Shawn or Ben's safety so why should we?

[gayguy4]

i love this news that pam son his being fond.

[syphlis]

Ok this kid seemed like he was having a pretty good time - skateboarding, biking, video games.. he even had a best friend while he was in captivity who lived close by.. appears like he stayed there by his own will besides the probable fact that Devlin made threats to him about trying to leave.

Im thinking.. Shawn knew he had it good there so he didn't attempt to leave, he probably would of atleast told his new best friend about his situation had he actually been afraid for his life.

[miffyblue]

Why are they sure it was Shawn who left the message & put up the web pages, rather than the kidnapper? Also, if it was the boy doing it, maybe he gave the last name Devlin to give his parents clues where he might be. He obviously was trying to point towards his identity to use the name Shawn, since most people use anonymous usernames online, not their real names.

I would not be surprised if this man had threatened him a lot. Maybe he was told that if he ran away or talked to anyone about the situation, the kidnapper would track him and his family down and kill them all, or whatever. I know a child who was molested for several years by a "family friend," and never told anyone because he had threatened to harm her or her family, and she was scared. Yet she still had to see this guy every day, even in front of her family, and her family never suspected a thing until it had gone on for years. This boy, Shawn, was only 11 when he was taken--his pre-teen and teen years were completely shaped by his life with this kidnapper, so he wasn't probably in the mental or emotional place a typical 15-year-old would be if he had only been kidnapped at that age. 11-year-olds are much more vulnerable than 15-year-olds and more likely to believe what they are told.

[poolesgirl]

Once again, here we go assuming we know everything. Until you are in that situation, you really have no clue what you would do. It's just like seeing a car accident, everyone wants to think you will be superman and save that persons life, but do you really know if you could get out of that car and perform a lifesaving act? You don't know and you won't know until it happens to you. In my line of work I deal with people like that everyday, they talk the talk but when it comes down to it, they can't walk the walk and I'm afraid to say some people on here are doing the very same thing.

[jn122736]

mdc76082, good points. As additional information is added to this story more question arise.

Again, Not to question why these boys did not try to get away when they were evidently free to do so is to deny reality.

Asking obvious questions is neither placing blame nor making accusations.
Not asking the obvious questions is a weakness and danger in itself.

Judgments and/or opinions based on emotions are inherently biased and generally wrong.

Making assumptions with insufficient information is worthless, or to coin an old phrase; when you jump to conclusions you generally land on you%u2019re backside.


Thanking God for bringing these boys home when he obviously allowed it to happen in the first place is illogical.

Using name-calling and insults does more damage to the users integrity than it could ever do to the target.

[nothappyatall]

I say there's a lot more going on we don't know about so lets not assume he was sexually atacked without HIS statement, the kid looks in good shape, he got a piercing which looks like he got what he wanted.
Kidnapping is a crime though, so prosecute, it carries 20 years in jail- usually the same as for murder.

[nothappyatall]

Oh come on, this "child" is not like an 11-15 year old a hundred years ago, kids this age today are not complete idiots they are more world knowing, connected to everything and not naive country bumpkins.

Like someone here said, maybe he was HAPPY there, no school, did what he liked, and you all are ASSUMING there was sexual anything going on, the perp was a mental case, could be he just wanted "family" or a "son". So far I have seen nothing in the media that indicated sexual anything.

That he could leave tantalizing so called "clues" on his parents message board but not call the police or walk 10 feet next door to a neighbor says a lot.
The "clues" he left on the message board sound to me more like he was testing them to see if they really even CARED about him: "how long do you plan to look for your son?"
Does THAT question make ANY sense??? it sounds to me more like what I just said- he wanted to see if they even truly cared. We already know he comes from a broken home- he has a STEP FATHER, meaning all wasn't right at the home front- divorce, his real father gone and this new one foisted on him. Maybe he and the step didn't get along.
He even used the last name of his "captor" as his own.

[skyhawk761]

Both sides need to chill. On one side it's he could have called or IM a message to his parents. On the other side it's the perv might have been standing over him or threatning him or his parents. Both are speculations at best. We won't know until or if the full information is released. Just be glad no deaths occured in this fiasco.

[samaadams]

Ciarrasmom, I completely agree. It is sad that in todays society we are trying to blame the young victim. This disgust me.