internet relationships.
By chrislotz
@chrislotz (8137)
Canada
December 12, 2007 10:13am CST
I just read a discussion that was very disturbing to me. This person has a friend online that she set up to meet her girlfriend, in person. He wants to sleep with her and he doesn't care that she has a family. He just wants to have sexc with her.
What I find disturbing is "People, Don't trust everyone you meet online" My daughter met a man online and chatted with him for over a year. She was 13 years and he said he was 15 years old. He convinced her to invite him over to our house when my husband and I weren't home. She trusted him, was chatting with him for over a year. When he knocked on the door, she opened it to find a 40 year old man at the door,she tried to close the door, but he broke his way in. He tried to rape her, and started to beat on her. He is now in jail for 10 years. Turns out through DNA, he has done this to several girls.
My point here is do not trust people you meet online. You don't know who or what they are. Don't meet or give out personal information to anyone. You can't just trust people because they sound nice on the internet or on the phone. Make sure if you are meeting someone, meet in public for the first few times till you get to know them a little better.
7 people like this
13 responses
@keminem001 (779)
• Saint Lucia
12 Dec 07
although this can be good sometimes, the majority of the time it isn't. it's not safe to meet with someone you met on the internet. don't get me wrong because there are some legitimate dating sites on the internet where people find their soulmates but please be careful when you decide to meet someone you met on the internet.
2 people like this
@wolfie34 (26771)
• United Kingdom
12 Dec 07
I had to laugh at this, sorry I wasn't being rude, insensitive or unkind but I used to do a lot of internet dating and the amount of times the person who I thought I was talking to was so much different in real life. One person was actually 10 years older than they said they were! I mean a year makes no difference to someones age but ten??? come on! I have given up because I no longer want a relationship. Blind dates always were an adventure, a challenge and seldom worked anyhow. Be single it's far easier that way! Dating sites are ok providing you take them with a pinch of salt and always always play careful, you don't know who you're talking to!
2 people like this
@empressofdrac (503)
• Philippines
13 Dec 07
i guess this applies not only to people you meet online/internet but also to people you only merely know...
but then it's totally different in my case. i have a local forum and i really made great friends online. we have group EB and our relationship leads to friendship.
1 person likes this
@lightningMD (5931)
• United States
12 Dec 07
I agree you need to be careful when meeting people online. It can work out though. I met my husband online at a chat site. We have been together for 4 years and married for three. I'm glad you were able to put that creep in jail. I hope your daughter does not suffer long term from this terrible experience.
1 person likes this
@chrislotz (8137)
• Canada
12 Dec 07
This has happened to her about 10 years ago and she is fine now. She did have to go for councilling for a few years because she was so scared of men. Now she is an adult and fine but very wiery of stangers. This is a good thing.
@shooting_star (384)
• Philippines
13 Dec 07
I agree, people shouldn't trust everyone they meet online. Or at least don't trust them at once. While some people can be perfectly honest and harmless, there are also a lot of perverts that prey on unsuspecting girls. It's good that the man who tried to rape your daughter is now in jail.
It's also good advice to meet people in public for the first few times so that you won't be taken advantage of. I've never asked any of my friends on the internet to come to my house; never gave my address to them. But I have met some of my online friends in public places, and those meet-ups turned out to be clean, pure fun. And I even ended up being good friends with some of them. It pays to be careful with who you trust though.
@arkaf61 (10881)
• Canada
13 Dec 07
Yes, unfortunately that happens a lot and still a lot of people are not as careful as they should.
I am not saying that there aren't cases where people meet in person and everything is fine and a good relationship can develop, just that people need to be careful not only of who they meet in person but also about giving any personal information - from address and phone number to even small "innocent" things that might not seem important at all.
As for people like you mention about the discussion you read, unfortunately it happens so much there are forums and boards full dealing with the devastation. I personally know quite a few cases. Some went to the extreme of leaving their marriage for someone they met online. Only one of them seems to have worked. The others have been a disaster - as any act of infidelity can be . A big number is now realizing the mistake done and trying to get back with their marriage. I am not surprised that the answer is a big fat no.
@wisedragon (2325)
• Philippines
13 Dec 07
Sorry to hear about your daughter's traumatic experience. I hope she's okay. But I am glad that you were able to put that maniac in jail and prevented him from harming other girls. I hope the rest of those animals get caught too. Parents should really be vigilant about what their kids are doing on the Internet, especially the strangers they meet.
@marinarovi (1318)
• Argentina
14 Dec 07
Of course, I don't trust anyone just because they sound nice!
And if you really want to meet someone you met online, do it on a public place, like a mall or something, just in case...
Great discussion, Chris. Everybody should read your post.
=)
@BeautifulLife (262)
• India
13 Dec 07
It'd be real foolish of someone to trust an onilne friend. It is the parents' duty to ensure that their children do not fall into any kind of traps. Thanks.
@nkhanna (922)
• India
13 Dec 07
hi chrislotz.i really dont understand as to why cant people like that man keep themselves available to the sites which offers such things.it really hurts.i am so sorry to hear about your daughter incident.its good that he is in jail and i think all suc people should be in jail.nowadays life without intenet is like hell to everyone ans especially the kids.we really need to take care of what all sites they see and make them understand as to they should not reveal any personal informations on the net.i know exceptions are always there and some people have found their soul mates on the internet.however its just a few.i think its so tough to believe and trust a person who you can see and who is so near to you,then its just impossible to believe a person who is miles away and who can tell any bullshits to impress online.
@crazedmuch (257)
• Philippines
13 Dec 07
those perverts!
people online can always pretend to be someone they're not, its just soo easy. too bad for those victims.
