Pedophiles use FaceBook to select victims

I'm shaking as I post this but I just found out last night that my 13-year old stepdaughter was communicating with a 28-year old man. She had "met" him on a game website and gave him her cell phone number. They had been texting back and forth for a couple of weeks. We (her father and I) only found out because she admitted it after her father took her on a daddy daughter date and she admitted it.

Folks, we thought we were doing everything right. We only allowed her to use the computer in the dining room in everyone's sight. We read her text messages on the phone at least once a week (she was deleting his). We let her have a very closely monitored facebook, where I was one of her friends and read most of her posts and we had her password and checked to make sure she didn't have any odd friends or things that didn't look right.

Of course, we've taken her cell phone and she has no internet rights anymore. We'll have to monitor her every movement for a loooong time.

We also called this creep. I talked to him for a very long time and let him know that we are contacting the authorities (which we did) and that he is to no longer contact her, her friends or anyone in our state for that matter or the feds will be down on him like a ton of bricks. The police here are being very kind to us. Even though we have no proof of anything illegal going on (no sexual innuendo, no plans for visits), it was highly inappropriate and the police are looking in to it for now.

I don't know what else to do because it's taking all I have not to organize a posse and handle this (*##&$( but he's out there. And he's not alone...and be afraid, parents, grandparents and everyone. Even if you do everything right, they still try to get in. Pray for us. We're scared.

I am praying for you *hugs*

I just wish you hadn't given him a 'heads up' that you were contacting police. There's no way he didn't realize he was talking to a minor. I'm willing to bet he's had other victims too. I hope the police jerk a knot in his *advertiser censored* over this.

I wonder ...

Call your cellphone provider and find out if there are records of texts or any way you can retrieve those messages.

I'd also find out what game she met him on and what handle he goes by. Spy a little, ya know. You might be able to catch him after all.

How awful for you and your family. I hope she understands why this is not good. Good luck to you.

groovygrl, I will keep your family in my prayers. I am so sorry this has reared its ugly head into your life. Hugs to you. Hang in there.

Just wanted to say that a few months ago I noticed that my ex and his younger wife had put up a few pics on fb of their two little girls in the tub. So I very nicely and privately emailed them and warned them about doing this. Told them that there are are perverts out there that hunt for this stuff. Well they seem to have gotten highly insulted thinking that I am just paranoid. My page is private but I know the wife has over 700 "friends" so I don't know how she could take a chance like that. About a month later I got deleted from both their accounts. I only wish I could show them this thread!