MySpace Link To Girl's Disappearance?

Cops Fear Vt. 12-Year-Old May Have Gone To Meet Someone She Met Through Online Social Site

(CBS/ AP)  The search for a missing 12-year-old girl broadened Friday, as divers searched a lake, the FBI joined in and police investigators turned to officials at MySpace.Com, the online social networking site through which she had been communicating with an unknown person prior to her disappearance.

A day after her disappearance triggered Vermont's first-ever Amber Alert, investigators focused on someone Brooke Bennett may have met online, the head of the Vermont State Police said.

"This case is about a MySpace visitation," said Col. James Baker. "Our focus is on the communications Brooke may have had via that media."

Brooke, of Braintree, vanished Wednesday after being dropped off at about 9 a.m at a convenience store in Randolph, where she was supposedly going to meet a friend and then go to a hospital to visit a relative of the friend.

Police now believe that was a ruse, and that she may have been going to meet someone she'd been communicating online. Video from surveillance cameras at the store - released Friday - showed the girl walking away by herself, and she was seen about 45 minutes later inside the Randolph Village Laundromat, police said.

Baker wouldn't say whether she was alone at that point.

She was reported missing about 9 p.m. Wednesday, and an Amber Alert - the first ever in Vermont - was issued Thursday.

Brooke's mother, Casandra Gatnon, made a heartfelt plea to her 12-year-old daughter who has been missing almost two days. "I'm not mad. I just want you home," she told CBS affiliate WCAX-TV.

On Friday, state police dive teams searched Sunset Lake, near where items belonging to Brooke were found Thursday by a family member.

Meanwhile, investigators from the Vermont State Police, FBI and other agencies were trying to track Brooke's movements after she was dropped off by her uncle and cousin.

The FBI, which had assigned two agents to the case Thursday, plans to send a five-person team made up of agents who specialize in child abduction cases, police said.

A major focus of the investigation was centered on her online activities.

"As we all know, warnings have gone out countless times, in this world that we live in today, there are folks that visit places, social networking spaces such as MySpace, whose intentions are not good. And they come from far away," said Baker.

Investigators aren't ruling out the possibility Brooke may have left Vermont.

Police want to hear from anyone who was in Randolph on Wednesday between 9:45 a.m. and 11 a.m., even if they don't think they saw anything, Baker said.

Baker said the Amber Alert wasn't issued sooner because investigators had to determine if her disappearance met the criteria for one. Officials didn't decide to issue the alert until they knew the MySpace activity could be related to it, he said.

The girl established her first MySpace account under her father's supervision, but he later pulled the plug on it a couple of months ago after they learned about some of her activity on it, according to the father, James Bennett, 41, of Bethel.

"We told her when we set it up there that's things you're not gonna' do," he said. "We had a little respect problem after a month or so, so we shut it off. There was an issue, and we decided it was not appropriate for her to have it. We changed the password so she couldn't use it," he said.

She later set up an account from another computer, which Bennett said he didn't know until a week ago. The girl lives with her mother in Braintree, not with Bennett.

Baker said MySpace officials were being helpful.

A spokeswoman for MySpace.com who would not give her name said Friday the company was cooperating with police.

"I can tell you we're working with local law enforcement to provide them with everything and we have been since last night. We're providing them with everything they're requesting," she said.

Experts in missing children say the Internet can be a dangerous place.

"The reality is that the internet is the predator's new playground. They don't have to lurk in bushes anymore, they can lurk in cyberspace," said Marc Klaas, founder of the Klaaskids Foundation, of Sausalito, Calif.

"It provides them with a much greater degree of anonymity. It enables them to create any kind of a fantasy or fake life they want so they can use their well-honed manipulative skills to get close to the particularly vulnerable," said Klaas, whose 12-year-old daughter, Polly Klaas was abducted from a slumber party in 1993 and later found slain.

Bob Hoever, associate director of training for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, said child abductions related to the Internet are on the rise.

The public's help can be key in solving them.

"When a child disappears, it's like trying to find a needle in a haystack," he said.

"The more eyes and ears we have out there looking, the smaller that haystack becomes. Thanks to public help, 400 children have been safely rescued and returned to their families specifically because of the Amber Alert program and the public's help."

Capt. Ed Ledo of the Vermont State Police said the Amber Alert wasn't issued earlier because police needed more information. The alert was issued about 5:25 p.m. Thursday, nearly 18 hours after the girl was reported missing.

"Because someone's missing, you can't just put an Amber Alert out. There are certain criteria we're bound by," Ledo said.

About 14 detectives were currently working on the case, he said.

"I'm sitting here waiting for a phone call, hoping it's good news. This is a very difficult time," said James Bennett, her father.

The girl, who just finished seventh grade, is described as 4-foot-11 inches tall, 98 pounds, wearing blue jeans, a pink sweater and white sneakers with pink lettering. She has blue eyes, brown hair with purple highlights and has pierced ears "top and bottom," according to the Amber Alert.

At the Randolph convenience store, a flier with a black-and-white photo of Brooke was taped to the glass door in front, and clerks handed out copies of it to customers inside. A store manager there declined comment on the girl's disappearance.

"It is certainly our hope that Miss Bennett is out there and has just failed for whatever reason to contact family and friends," said Vermont State Police Capt. David Covell. "At this point, we're looking at all possibilities."

Amber Alerts, which are named for Amber Hagerman, a 9-year-old Texas girl slain in 1996, are a partnership between law enforcement agencies, broadcasters, transportation agencies and the wireless industry to alert the public in the most serious child-abduction cases.

[faith_in_w]

I dont let my children on the internet. Theres no telling what weirdos they will meet there.

[u-r-right]

I never could understand why anyone would want to post their personal information on a public site such as MySpace. This type of thing is going to keep happening as an unfortunate side effect to this activity. Children under the age of 18 do not belong on the internet anyway. Let them text message each other or use a telephone to communicate with each other or better yet, see each other in person. That''s good enough.

[faith_in_w]

tootall10142, they all do this. They keep your money in the bank and it collects interest which is given to the CEO who then buys expensive hookers and single malt scotch. This is how the economy is supposed to work.

[luvny-2009]

That''s just awful, I wish these kids would stay off that cr@p. Too many perverted men out there!

[luvny-2009]

faith_in_w & tootall10142...yeah don''t you just love it! I have Cigna and afraid to go to the doctors because what they will NOT cover, one visit can break you. I have a friend from Canada, they love their medical there.

[ybotheratall]

Remember the article that talked about just how many pedophiles/*** offenders they found on MySpace? These little girls are going on there and changing their age to 18 so more guys can see the profile. For every legitimate guy who is being friendly and flirty, there is a pedophile just waiting to pounce. The internet, and especially sites like MySpace are like candy to a predator.

Kids have an invincibility complex that they truly believe will protect them from this lunacy. Too often we are shown the aftermath; a grieving family asking what they could have done differently. Giving a child the internet in some cases is like handing them ruination. When people say you need to supervise them, even this family, who followed the rules and talked about the site, it''s content and even pulling the plug on the page couldn''t even protect her.

There is no reason for kids under 18 to be on those sites. None that you can give me that are valid.

[ybotheratall]

Posted by u-r-right at 08:55 AM Your post is excellent. On top of the information that is already in their profiles, they send around these little quizzes with questions like, "What school do you go to?" "What are your plans for this weekend?" "When you get drunk, what do you like to do?" I mean come ON! These kids just post the answers on the site in a publicly accessible place and don''t even think about the ramifications. Unreal. Don''t get me started on the pictures. Cleavage, underwear, half-naked. These pedophiles much lick their chops while they are logging on.

[shazam96]

What kinds of parents or family memembers would leave a 12 years old to meet a friend at the convenience store....I believe time and time again its negligent behaviours of parents or indivisuals leads to such a tragedy....for a twelve years old I would have waited out side the store to make sure she meets the friend and who the friend that she is meeting ,common sense awareness.....I feel so so bad about this girl and anger towards the family members for being dumb and stupid allowing 12 years old such carelessness and freedom.....that lead unneccessary heartaches....truely sad I only hope they would find the girl safe and sound ....even though I live in canada much much safer place than u.s.but I never ever let my family member move arround the city without making sure its safe .....and supervision where its required......no matter what the age ,its better to be safe than sorry....more and more parents are too busy with there owen thing and fail the children the care,alertness,and devotion required to raise children........

[shazam96]

correction;What kinds of parents or family memembers would leave a 12 years old to meet a friend at the convenience store....I believe time and time again its negligent behaviours of parents or indivisuals leads to such a tragedy....for a twelve years old I would have waited out side the store to make sure she meets the friend and who the friend that she is meeting ,common sense awareness.....I feel so so bad about this girl and anger towards the family members for being dumb and stupid allowing 12 years old such carelessness and freedom.....that lead to unneccessary heartaches....truely sad I only hope they would find the girl safe and sound ....even though I live in canada much much safer place than u.s.but I never ever let my family member move arround the city without making sure its safe .....and supervision where its required......no matter what the age ,its better to be safe than sorry....more and more parents are too busy with there owen thing and fail the children the care,alertness,and devotion required to raise children........

[simplemind2]

Isn''t it ironic that nowadays with the "Privacy Act" as a parent, one can''t even find out about your kid''s grade at school without your kid signed permission. And then the kid can put out a lot of his/her "Private" information on-line for the public to access? Something definitely wrong with this picture!

[feddupp]

NEVER, in this day and time, should ANYONE leave a "12-year-old" (boy OR girl!) ALONE in a public place, without making sure the "friend" and her parent/guardian are there waiting for her!!

This should be a "wake-up call" for any adult who is still TRUSTING enough to think it "couldn''t happen" to their child!

Sadly, this world is a DANGEROUS place now and nothing can be taken for granted where safety is concerned. EVERY precaution should be taken "just in case" some sicko is lurking to harm you or your child!

[feddupp]

That being said, I SINCERELY hope this girl is found safe--despite the odds!

[vaska1-2009]

DragonWagon, white girls are the ones who fall victim to predators more than any other race. Therefore, it is going to make the news more. That being said, they are NOT the only ones who make the news. Ever heard of the Atlanta child murders? The victims were black boys, and that certainly made the news, and this was back before CNN, FOX, and the Internet. How about Alexis Patterson? Ever heard of her? She went missing years back (a black girl from Wisconsin) and it made national headlines. I live thousands of miles away on the East Coast and I heard of her. Stop trying to start some sort of race fight. Your ignorance is disgusting.

[mediamomma]

my kid has been bugging me to get a myspace page ever since her friends and cousins got one. 1st, u have to be 14 or older to use it. the parents who lie & make up their kids'' age are stupid - someone in my family even. no way would i lie & say my kid is at least 14. 2nd it''s way too easy to give personal info w/out realizing. i feel bad for the missign girl. it was all over our local news here & it''s a shame. i know the area well. unfortunately randolph is extremely rural & anyone who wants to do harm to someone can do it real easy & not get caught. & for the ones saying they would never just drop their kid off like that, amen. i sit & wait. it''s dumb to leave them alone at all. at any age. i know all too well the dangers lurking out there. i even sit at the bus stop still w/my kid. my kid thinks i''m too protective because i won''t let her get a myspace page but i just told her last nite that the amber alert thing we thought was a test that came over our tv yesterday was not a test but the real thing & that they think she met someone on myspace & it''s reasons just like this i won''t let her do it. when she is over 18 & out of my house then she can do what she wants but she needs to know how to be safe. for now the one thing i can do to keep her safe is seriously high parental controls online (which work great) & no access to sites like myspace. i hope they don''t find the girl under the floating bridge. god be with her and her family.

[vaska1-2009]

DragonWagon, white girls are the ones who fall victim to predators more than any other race. Therefore, it is going to make the news more. That being said, they are NOT the only ones who make the news. Ever heard of the Atlanta child murders? The victims were black boys, and that certainly made the news, and this was back before CNN, FOX, and the Internet. How about Alexis Patterson? Ever heard of her? She went missing years back (a black girl from Wisconsin) and it made national headlines. I live thousands of miles away on the East Coast and I heard of her. Stop trying to start some sort of race fight. Your ignorance is disgusting.

[xyno-2009]

NEVER, in this day and time, should ANYONE leave a "12-year-old" (boy OR girl!) ALONE in a public place, without making sure the "friend" and her parent/guardian are there waiting for her!!

Posted by feddupp at 11:04 AM : Jun 27, 2008

===========================

feddupp, that was my first thought as well.

[runningralph]

The mother''s "heartfelt plea" rings hollow unless it is followed by outrage at the cousin and uncle who dropped the girl off at a convenience store. These guys should be charged with child endangerment. A child should never be dropped off anywhere unless the parents or guardians are well acquainted with whom she is being left, and everyone knows everyone and actually sees them at home.
That being said, a twelve year old girl knows when she is doing wrong. No one can protect anybody who repeatedly and intentionally engages in risky behavior.

[cntrygrllst]

mediamomma,
Be sure you child''s friends aren''t helping them set up a page without your knowledge. My child did it at a friends house imagine my surprise. I learned not to say "My Kid wouldn''t do that" the hard way. Remember being a kid what made your parents yell made your happy.

[checkthepast]

dragon (& cody)
the reason this is front page is ...Key Word "My-Space"
Social network safety for underage is a hot news topic.
Plain and simply...no reason no notify the Sharpton patrol.

[checkthepast]

"to" notify the Sharpton patrol.

[checkthepast]

A racist will see ''racism'' everywhere...

[psk123-2009]

I hope she is found alive and well, (and soon!) unfortuneately my gut says otherwise.

The world is a whole different place now than it was when I was growing up. My parents NEVER had a clue as to where I and my siblings were or whom we were with. Our wander radius was about as far as we could walk in roughly four - five hours. When we got bikes it really expanded the distance we could travel!

Now that we are parents ourselves, we make sure we know where our children are at all times. We know all their friends, their friend''s parents, phone numbers, addresses and emails. It is a crazy world out there filled with some pretty strange, bizzare and messed up people.

Always, always, always know where your kids are and with whom they are with. Make it a point to ALWAYS check to that they are where they said they would be and with whom they said they would be with.

It should also go without saying, but parents should also ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS know what they are doing on the computer.

[credibility2]

Social network sites like mySpace and Facebook are a pathetic reminder that young people have to much at their disposal without any responsibility or accountability. Lax parents have caved into the pressures from their kids and acquiesced all parental authority to their kids, who continue to be in charge. So much for the future of our nation and its young.

[arnldmartin]

I have a 12 year old granddaughter and this is one of our biggest fears.We preach the safety rules over and over again,but sometimes it doesn''t seem to sink in.No child should have to die because she made a mistake.Brooke is in our prayers and I hope the best for her.

[victimsofgra]

Little girls have been getting into trouble before myspace and before the internet.

They want attention from older men, they crave it.

If they don''t meet them on myspace, they will meet them at the mall, at the movies, at the beach etc.

Just because people die in car accidents, are you going to BAN all Cars?

[victimsofgra]

I don''t have any kids now.
But when me and my wife do have kids, I will purchase a GPS trackable phone now offered by a few carriers like sprint and verizon.

You can go to any computer and find out where they are and where they have been.

Gotta love technology

[tearose6]

My heart, thougts and prayers go out to this family for the safe return of their precious girl. I will never understand how humanity can be so cruel, and why someone feels they have the right to take someone, or something so precious from another.
I would like to address that cruelty knows no boundries, of race, creed, or color, evil does not see any of these attributes. Some of you can get on here and bash the uncle and cousin that dropped off this 12 year old girl (No I would NEVER do that myself)but can you imagine how these individuals feel at this very point in time. So for those of you using this forum as a place to assert your beliefs of making this into a racial issue, shame on you....this is about a child, a missing child, who is loved by their family, who miss her as though their heart has been ripped from their chest. It does not matter if she is black, white, hispanic, purple, yellow or green...she is a human being that I pray to god is not in the presence of a monster.

[ccdsswrkr08]

My heart goes out to this family as well, but really, can we ignore that the uncle dropped a 12 year old girl off at a gas station and just left her there? I don''t care if my daughter is meeting with someone, and I''ve even spoke to the people she''s meeting with. I''m going to wait till those people get there, make sure she''s with them, then leave. It''s common sense people. When did we take responsibilty out of parenting?

[victimsofgra]

12 year olds know what they are doing.

Today parents drop their kids off at the mall, library, beach etc.


I was lying to my parents when I was 12. to go smoke pot and drink beers with the older boys.

Kids will do wrong regardless of where they are dropped off.

[ccdsswrkr08]

victimsofgra

It''s not about where she was dropped off, it was the fact that she was dropped off by herself. The uncle didn''t see this friend she was meeting up with, didn''t speak to the supposed friend. He just dropped her off alone. I don''t care how trust worthy my 12 year old is, that''s not happening.

[victimsofgra]

Quote "Maybe it was the uncle"

The police already said they have analyzed the computer and know whom she was messaging. That means the uncle has been ruled out.

[victimsofgra]

Maybe she made a pact with her friends to get Knocked up by homeless men, like the 17 girls from Massachusetts

[mysticstone]

"...the Amber Alert wasn''t issued earlier because police needed more information. The alert was issued about 5:25 p.m. Thursday, nearly 18 hours after the girl was reported missing. "Because someone''s missing, you can''t just put an Amber Alert out. There are certain criteria we''re bound by," [this is a quote from Capt. Ed Ledo of the Vermont State Police]
I read similar words last week in Houston, TX regarding a 7 yr old boy and his 3 yr old sister. They were last seen playing around tennis courts in their apartment complex on Father''s Day. They were found the following Friday or Saturday. Turns out the father killed the kids, stuffed them in a box and suitcase, took them a few miles down the road and set them on fire.

It seems that they need to reconsider when the Amber Alert is set in place. Two, and now possibly three children are dead. Would they be alive today if the Amber Alert was placed at the time the children were reported missing??? How many more children have to die before changes are made???

[victimsofgra]

I have an Idea. PUBLIC TORTURE, and DEATH to any rapist murderer etc.

Nations that have public beheadings and hanging have little to know violent crime.

They also cut off the hands of thieves.

Call it cruel. But its a cruel world. And Cruelty is a good deterent

[victimsofgra]

*no

[ici2i]

It''s certainly not acceptable to drop off a child and not confirm a child''s plan. It''s also standard op procedure to discuss with other parents particularly when a trip (out of state) is planned. Randolph, VT is a sleeply little out of the way town but that doesn''t matter. All plans for children this age must be approved and then monitored including the pick-up arrangements.

It is absolutely ridiculous that so much time passed before an alert was issued. That kid could have been rendered incapable, stuffed in a car, and on their way down the highway so fast it never would have been noticed. However, an alert might have given authorities a fighting chance to find somebody who might have seen something. Change the alert protocol and do it NOW! Call it preliminary or simialr but it''s clear, it''s not working and this girl may now be long gone.....DA@N System!!!

[docpeter-2009]

I just gotta ask, who, in their right mind, especially considering the numbers of missing and exploited children today, would think that dropping off a 12-year old girl at a convenience store makes logical sense.

Even if the girl was saying that she is going with a friend to see a sick relative, why didn''t you call someone to see how the relativew was doind?

Afterall, the girl is only 12-years old!

What sort of ignorrant idiot adult does this?

[mediamomma]

earlier today they were searching the lake where the floating bridge is located. they had divers looking in it for her because an article of clothing was found near the bridge. yes, randolph, vt is a sleepy little farm community where everyone knows everyone. i hope she''s found alive but if they are putting divers in the lake, then odds are they are thinking she is not. if i was that girls mom, the uncle would be beaten with my aluminum bat for just leaving her off like that. you don''t do that. you wait. but i wouldn''t even buy the story of meeting a friend at cumby''s to go and visit sick relative at DHMC in hanover, nh either. doesn''t set right. if it was a real friend, that friend would have driven to the girls house to pick her up. not meet her at cumby''s. how stupid are people? for the record, not everyone in vt is stupid like that.

[ybotheratall]

When any of my children EVER wanted to go out, see a friend, have an overnight, meet at the mall etc, I always placed a call to a parent or two, depending on the situation. I always asked for a quick call during an event depending on what was going on, and always kept tabs, asked questions.

I ask if anyone smokes, has a gun in the home and what the standard bedtimes are and if there will always be an adult in the home. I take being called overprotective as a compliment. My kids don''t have cell phones because they don''t need them. I always know where they are.

[junglejimy12]

The Amber Alert should have been issued hours earlier. I do not buy their excuses for the delay. I work for a police department and we all know how important the time factor is when a child disappears. I pray they find this girl alive but this kind of time delay certainly does not help her. What type of law agency made this decision? Small town Key stone cops or what ??

[junglejimy12]

We need to shut down sites like My Space !!!! They are hot beds of trouble.

[deepthinker4]

We need to shut down sites like My Space !!!! They are hot beds of trouble.


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Posted by junglejimy12 at 05:35 PM : Jun 27, 2008
No we do not need to shut down sites like myspace. myspace is a perfectly okay site. All we need to do is discuss with kids NOT to meet someone in public they met online. If this girl, like most other myspace users was a bit more cautious and kept it online, noting would have happened. Pedophiles cant grab kids thru the computer!!! You can have friendships online and meet people without meething them in person. Lots of kids do it and dont get harmned. Unforunetelly, this girl was ignorant and decided to meet the person.

[deepthinker4]

I have an Idea. PUBLIC TORTURE, and DEATH to any rapist murderer etc.

Nations that have public beheadings and hanging have little to know violent crime.

They also cut off the hands of thieves.

Call it cruel. But its a cruel world. And Cruelty is a good deterent


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Posted by victimsofgra at 02:21 PM : Jun 27, 2008

I agree with you!! America would be alot safer if pedophiles had something to fear. Today, if they''re caught, they get a nice modern cell with cable TV and internet access and all that ***!!!

[love4all2]

I believe the responsibility belongs to the parents. they shoud teach these kids how dangerous it is to meet people off the internet. there are so many idiots on the internet and looking for troubled or neglected kids. they say all the right things and bam there are the kids out the door and into danger. I think places like my space should be shut down or should charge a fee or something to control this kind of stuff. Just like the lady being charged in the suicide of the little girl. people need to be held accountable.

[love4all2]

I have an Idea. PUBLIC TORTURE, and DEATH to any rapist murderer etc.

Nations that have public beheadings and hanging have little to know violent crime.

They also cut off the hands of thieves.

Call it cruel. But its a cruel world. And Cruelty is a good deterent


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Posted by victimsofgra at 02:21 PM : Jun 27, 2008

I agree with you!! America would be alot safer if pedophiles had something to fear. Today, if they''''re caught, they get a nice modern cell with cable TV and internet access and all that ***!!!


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Posted by DeepThinker4 at 05:58 PM : Jun 27, 2008
+ report abuse
YAHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
PUBLIC EXECUTIONS OR PHYSICAL PUNISHMENT FOR ANY CRIME. NOT JUST RAPIST AND MURDERERS DRUG DEALERS SHOULD BE BEAT IN PUBLI MAYBE A 100 LASHES WITH A WHIP. I BET THAT WOULD STEER THEM CLEAR AND YES PUBLIC EXECUTIONS WOULD PROBABLY MAKE SOME OF THESE IDIOTS TO THINK TWICE

[deepthinker4]

faith_in_w and u-r-right

sorry but Im really sick of uptight, ignorant people like you. Its perfectly fine to let kids meet people online as long as you make sure they dont give out personal info... address, full name, phone number... PEDOPHILES CANT GRAB KIDS THROUGH THE COMPUTER SCREEN!!!! unfortunetelly pedophiles have to be online as posers and preteen girls have to be ignorant. the computer is actually one of the safer ways for kids to talk to people AS LONG AS IT STAYS ON THE COMPUTER.
"what happens on the computer, should stay on the computer"

[love4all2]

people on here are stupid, the computer should not be used as a toy for kids. they should not be meeting people in chat rooms. kids should be outside playing. that is what we used to do. what ever happened to kids talking on the phones to one another til all hours. this meeting and chatting and telling kids not to give personal info is stupid and ingnorant. the minute you tell a kid not to do something they turn right around and do just because they were told no.

[u-r-right]

PEDOPHILES CANT GRAB KIDS THROUGH THE COMPUTER SCREEN!!!! unfortunetelly pedophiles have to be online as posers and preteen girls have to be ignorant. the computer is actually one of the safer ways for kids to talk to people AS LONG AS IT STAYS ON THE COMPUTER.
"what happens on the computer, should stay on the computer"


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Posted by DeepThinker4 at 06:19 PM : Jun 27, 2008

Wow, do you have some big blinders on! And earplugs.

Explain to me why a child needs to meet people on line? Why do they need to have "online" friends that they will never meet in person? There is no need! They have peers they can hang out with in their own town.

And you don''t think a pedophile can "grab" a child through the computer??? All they need to do is befriend the child online and they can find out exactly where they live and other personal information. They then drive there and get the job done. It HAS HAPPENED too many times before!

Kids do not need to be on social web sites and they don''t need "online only" friends.

Wise up!

[mfruge1]

Not that it needs to be pointed out but there are a multiple faults here. Some people say that MySpace doesn''t need to be shut down; however, how do you expect MySpace to protect children or adults when they are unable to protect the President of the United States from defamation of character. That''s right, MySpace has allowed numerous profiles to be made of the President, where there are a vast number of slanderous comments made about him by people PRETENDING to be him. They also have allowed multiple profiles to be made by people claiming to be dictators and terrorist. Search Osama Bin Laden, Adolph Hitler or Saddam Hussein, and see how many profiles are on there. No one is safe because MySpace apparently doesn''t care. There is a huge problem in this country and alot of it is because of the internet. The entire thing needs to be cleaned up.

[sgtrevino]

Well first and foremost, My prayers r with the child and her parents,I hope she is found safe. As for the internet...well I do agree, children should be outside playing...I was and I turned out ok without Internet buddies..My son who was 12 or 13 at the time..met someone online..(a girl)..but we were open with the internet...it was myspace though. She wanted to meet him at the local mall...he asked me and I said Ok...I took him to the mall and let him walk in first and I walked in slightly behind him..and sat at a bench so I could watch him...Well the girl never did show up...however there was a suspicious older man looking around like if he was waiting for someone...after a while my son came to me and said he wanted to leave. Til this day I dont know if the man was the person on the net, but I was prepared if he was. If your gonna let ur child on the net, then let me be open with u, if they want to meet someone, that way they dont hide it from you. By the way, my son is now 15 and has lost interest in meeting folks online and my 16 doesn''t even get online...they prefer to play basketball outside...