Chapter Six. Step 3: Be Alert to How Predators Prey on Emotions


Steve H. usually liked his job as public defender in a small suburban town just outside of Dallas, but today he dreaded the task ahead. He was scheduled to meet with a new client, Randall M. Randall was a sex offender who had been caught stalking children online. With an 8-year-old boy and a 13-year-old girl at home, Steve found the thought of interviewing Randall about his alleged crimes to be upsetting.

The jailer settled Steve into the visitor's conference room, and a moment later led Randall through the door. Dressed in a green cotton jumpsuit, Randall was clean-shaven but looked every bit of his 51 years. Steve jumped right into the questioning and found Randall wasn't the least bit reluctant to talk about his "interests," as he called them. In fact, he seemed to enjoy talking about what he did and took pride in his talent at grooming victims.

"This kid, Kit? I zeroed in on him as a victim real fast. He's 14 and lives in a small town. Small-town kids feel isolated and crave outside contact. After all, they've met everybody in town. They're also a little less sophisticated than the city kids and more trusting of people, so it's easier to get one over them. Small-town kids are also a good bet to take you up on an invite to come to the big city for the day to meet.

"It was a cinch to get his address and phone number, so I called him a few times. He didn't even question how I got his phone numberjust seemed flattered that some big-city kid felt like spending time with him. He'd said online he hated to see people sad, so I hooked into that. I told him my friend had died in a car accident. He seemed to want to comfort me, which is a great way to build a connection."

Steve shifted uncomfortably in his chair, repelled by the "tricks of the trade" this online stalker was sharing. This man who preyed on children was actually smug. Steve fought back the urge to get up and leave. He had to defend this guy, but he didn't have to like it.

"His messages kept mentioning how he'd fight with his parents. His dad was a real cold fish, and you could tell the kid craved affection. I gave him attention, gifts, a lot of praise, you know. Sent him some dirty magazines and told him not to tell his folks about me 'cause they wouldn't like him getting that kind of stuff. He ate it up. Kids that age, they just aren't that great at figuring out what motivates other people, you know?"

Steve thought of his own kids and wondered if they would trust him enough to tell him if this type of thing was happening to them. Randall shifted in his seat and started talking again, as if reading Steve's mind. "Not that their parents are usually any betterI usually spend as much time manipulating the kid's parents as I spend grooming the kid, so they trust me being around him." Randall chuckled to himself and shook his head in wonder. "And it's dead easy. Most people are so gullible, I swear they want to be victims."

During the drive home that afternoon, Steve's hands were shaking as he thought about his own childrenabout what emotional buttons someone like Randall could push with them. As he pulled into his driveway, he knew the first thing he had to do was hold them both close. Then he would sit down and have a good, long talk with them.



Look Both Ways. Help Protect Your Family on the Internet
Look Both Ways: Help Protect Your Family on the Internet
ISBN: 0735623473
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2004
Pages: 157
Authors: Linda Criddle

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