Missing Boy Left Clues On The Internet

(CBS)  During the four years he was missing, both Shawn Hornbeck and his family were all over the Internet — he, on a variety of social networking sites, posting photos and messages, while they were with a website seeking clues and assistance in their desperate search for him.

In a chilling twist, CBS News correspondent Daniel Sieberg reports, Shawn and his parents may have crossed paths online more than a year ago. Someone going by "Shawn Devlin" - the last name of the accused kidnapper - visited his parents' online message board and wrote "how long are you planning to look for your son?"

Could he have been using the Internet to drop digital breadcrumbs?

"It can be surprising how much information is in plain view," says former FBI agent Ed Stroz. "If you're a law enforcement official, you wouldn't want to be turning a blind eye when the individual that has been victimized may have been putting information about themselves online."

Stroz says it's a long way from the traditional search methods of the past. "I wouldn't stop with the milk cartons, but I don't think it's enough," he explains.

Now, he says, searches must extend well beyond homes and streets.

"The neighborhood of the person includes where they go on their computer," Stroz says.

There are hundreds, if not thousands, of places online where kids can mingle with friends or strangers, but with all these Internet footprints, if a child goes missing, searching online can become like finding a needle in a stack of needles.

A new survey from the Pew Center says more than half (55 percent) of online teens have a personal profile and almost as many (48 percent) visit social networking sites daily.

"It is essential that you have computer expertise as part of your strategy to be able to do an investigation," Stroz says. "It's no longer the side show."

It's another new tool that parents and police hope will produce clues in the virtual world that can lead to more reunions in the real one.

[raiechel]

To the person that believes if you have a step-father than you have a bad home life must be the most ignorant.This man says this is his son, not step-son. You dont know if Shawns father died or what his life is like. This is sick that people think like they do. Craig Akers quit his job to look for his son. Never in any of the stories I have read for 4 years has this man said any different than that is his son. And to the person that said Pam Akers looked like a substance abuser is if more screwed up. That is whats wrong with this world, everyone goes on looks. You must be the type that laughes at people over weight, judges a poor man for what he wears, and teases kids that dont dress in name brand clothes. This makes me sick to my stomach!

[scorpyon-2009]

How can some of you blame this poor kid for what he went through and is still going through.

We don't know all the facts, what Devlin did or said to him. As far as we know Devlin may have had him tied up or locked in a closet while he was at work the first days, weeks, months or even years. Shawns so called "fredom" may have come at a big cost, something he earned over the years.

As far as this online stuff, if it was Shawn, maybe he did it to drop hints / clues to where he was. He may have felt that the police had to come to him, not him to the police. That could be why he did not tell the police when they had him after curfew. He may have thought Devlin would have time to leave before the police got him, and kill his parents (I did hear that Devlin told him that). I feel if what I have read about the case so far is true, then Shawn was trying to let people know who and where he was. They were clues that just got over looked, it is no ones fault. And it just blows my mind and makes me sick that people think it was Shawns fault why he didn't get help. I have never and hope I never will have to go through anything like that. I can not even begin to think what was going on in this kids mind. I am just greatful Shawn lived through his capture and is back with his family and friends.

Welcome home Shawn!

[apkoontz]

One thing that disturbs me is the idea that they think he might be responsible for the disappearance of other children paired with the
fact that he worked in a funeral home at night. IF he did take other children, what better place to rid of the evidence. I wonder if there is
a crematory on the premises of this funeral home and if he had access to one.

Curious? Do you think the police have considered this?

I heard the question today, why of all the times Shawn could have identified himself to police, did he wait until the other boy was with
him. I believe it was to protect THAT child from enduring what he did.

Now it was about someone other then himself.

[hannah_b-2009]

All that matters is that he's home and safe. Thats all. Stop being so ignorant.

[hannah_b-2009]

All that matters is that he's home and safe. Thats all. Stop being so ignorant.

[apkoontz]

You,are ignorant sir of just how frail the human mind is when someone has been repeatedly victimized, much less a child. For all we know this pervert taped what he did to Shawn and was blackmailing him with it. You just dont know. And since Teens are so capable, wouldnt it then make sense that he WAS messed up so much by his captor that he felt helpless and dirty and ashamed.

[apkoontz]

I find myself growing extreamly frustrated over the medias questioning of why Shawn
Hornbeck stayed with his captor when he could have left.

All I hear is either he suffered "Stockholmes" or he just decided to stay because his life
was easy. (ie: no school etc:)

I am quite sure I do know the most probable reason and I am hoping that you might give
this information enough plausablity to state it as possible on air so people will concider.

As a survivior of sexual abuse, I can tell you that there is an unimaginable amount of
personal shame a victim feels for having partaken in the sexual acts, even though by force
or by a parent. You feel responcible. Your body might have reacted in a way that
you didnt want. And you feel shame for that. You dont want to go tell anyone because you
dont want anyone to know this ugly thing.

It is very possible that Shawn felt damaged. He may have been forced to participate in acts
he cant begin to deal with. No, he doesnt want to go home and tell his mom (and worse for
a boy to tell his father) what the man did to him, and what he was forced to preform on that man.

For that reason, women stay with abusive men. Women raped, dont report it. Childeren
molested by a parent dont tell anyone ever. It isnt about protecting the pervert, its about
protecting yourself from the judgemental eyes you just know you will see in someone that
you love.

I do know what I am talking about.

A.Koontz
Virginia

[ciarrasmom]

Yes, the last few years, he had some freedom. When cops came he got out of the truck and walked straight into the house. Have you ever feared anyone? As a kid? I have. But not in the way SHAWN must have feared. If that man told me to go straight to the house, Ide go. And the biggest reason Shawn probably didnt think he could tell? He had already learned that he was not safe in this world, and that some grownups cant be trusted. The kid had already learned that Devlin was in control. He is 15, but he isnt exactly superman. hes LITTLE.
Do you people even have kids? You have NO right to make these obscene comments and judge that CHILD. And yes, 15 IS a child.
Shawn lost everything of his identity when he was taken from his family. By some incredible stroke of luck, he has a chance to TRY to rebuild it. He is still young enough to have a chance, like Elizabeth Smart did. Dont take that away from him by allowing ignorance & nosieness to destroy him any further. Seriously, give the boy a chance to survive the first assaults before you add more. Regardless of what you think, he has lost so much. And just for once, imagine if you are wrong? If you are, and he reads this, what further damage have you done to him? If that thought doesnt bother you, you have NO conscience.
Any human being that could even intimate that a little boy enjoyed what we all suspect was done to him, by a 300 lb 6'5" hulk of a man is sicker than Devlin.

[ciarrasmom]

truly, I am speechless. His parents LOVED him enough to give up everything to find him. Did you see the press conference? The love they all show to each other is sweet to watch.
To the absolute idiot who said his mother "looks like a substance abuser"....there are ALMOST no words....Maybe shes dealt with cancer? MAYBE the weight of not knowing where her only son was for four long years weighed heavily on her and took the youth from her as much as it did from him?
Assumptions like yours really are dangerous and...gosh...so sad a statement on us all. What are we becoming when we blame a little kid? His dad was right, we have lost the sense of community.
IF Shawn himself left those comments, then he probably risked his life to do so. How much would you have him say? He was KIDNAPPED, do you think this guy wanted to play monopoly? How much damage does it do to the psyche of a little boy MY SONS AGE to sexually assault him, to hit him, as a neighbor said happened, to take him away from everything he has ever known, to threaten him, to control him?

[nothappyatall]

"Why are they sure it was Shawn who left the message

maybe he gave the last name Devlin to give his parents clues

He obviously was trying to point towards his identity to use the name Shawn, since most people use anonymous usernames online,"

Kids usually do NOT use anonymous names, THAT'S the problem with facebook, myspace etc- they reveal TOO MUCH about themselves in many ways, some even post their school name, photos, home phone and addresses.

The post's IP address can be seen by the message board owners on every post made- hidden to regular users, this IP address number is traceable to a specific computer and location, thus,if someone posted this FOR him then THEIR IP address would be displayed and it might be in a different city or different ISP.If he used Devlin's computer or ISP then that IP would track right back to his house.

Also, if someone is going to post a message like that they would reveal ALL, not some tiny tidbits that make no sense to anyone till AFTER the arrest.
This Devlin dude had no priors or any indication he was this type of person so even checking out known pedos would not have done anything.
Don't forget, a squad car full of cops- basically the entire calvary were there and questioned Devlin, and guess what happens- the boy got out of the truck and walked inside the house!!

Not much adds up on this case to me for "victim" and his last act of walking away from the police and truck to go inside to probably play video games says a LOT.