DANGER LURKS AND LAYS WHERE OUR CHILDREN PLAY
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A
my was a very attractive, curious and confident young lady who always felt that she could handle any and all situations that she encountered in her young life with a pretty smile… a wink or a few captivating words… That is until the day she was faced with a situation that she was ill prepared to handle and all the smiles, winks and words in the world couldn’t help her to escape because she didn’t “Look… Listen and Learn”. Only time would tell if she would be lucky enough to live!
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DANGER LURKS AND LAYS WHERE OUR CHILDREN PLAY
On a sunny day at Suvarnabhumi Airport’s international arrivals terminal, a smartly dressed businessman was about to start a chain of events that would result in a ton of trouble… lots of lessons, and serious warnings! This story may or may not be based upon real events…but it’s warnings, and the lessons are certainly real and serious!
Good morning sir, passport and reason for visiting Thailand?
Just visiting as a tourist for a few weeks
Here you go sir, everything seems to be in order… have a nice stay in Thailand Mr. James
Hey Gus, I’m here! I hope you have everything lined up, I’m ready to get things going!
Meanwhile at Pasanusornbangkae Commercial School, students are beginning the 2nd day of their L.E.A.P. Safely online/offline safety course.
Listen carefully class, the safety information you’re about to learn could save your life one day!
Unfortunately, not all students waited around long enough to hear these DANGER LURKS AND LAYS WHERE OUR CHILDREN PLAY words!
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4 unsuspecting students, who skipped the class, are about to find out just how important online/ offline safety courses really are!
I’m glad we skipped the safety course…
What can some dumb seminar teach us about online/offline safety that we don’t already know anyways!
I can’t wait to see Zach.
Have you ever even seen Zach… what if he’s a perv or just some lying weirdo??
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DANGER LURKS AND LAYS WHERE OUR CHILDREN PLAY
So where are you going… maybe we can keep you company?
Whoooo…. maybe he’s the bogeyman… I’ve got to leave guys, I have an errand to run.
Don’t make a face like that… She’s a big girl now, she’ll be Okay!!
Sometimes it’s good that we spend time apart anyways, I see you guys so much as it is.
The light changes to yellow and Amy hurries across the street ahead of her friends.
Thanks, but I’m Okay, I just have a few personal things to do.
Ok, see you guys later, and stay out of trouble.
Some things are never OK, didn’t you learn anything yesterday in safety class??? We should have just stayed in class today!!
Hey! Amy, wait up!
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Why don’t we just spy on her? I know where PlaNet is and I’m curious what that guy looks like anyways!
Dominick feels that something just isn’t right….
Maybe he has a cute friend with him for me… good idea guys!
Meanwhile at PlaNet Internet café.
Wow! Are you Amy?? I’m Zach’s father, Zach’s running a little late, he had to finish his homework before coming.
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DANGER LURKS AND LAYS WHERE OUR CHILDREN PLAY
Yes, I am sir.
Why don’t you just sit here and relax, I’ve already brought you a cold drink.
Nice to meet you sir, no problem, I can wait.
Hey, there’s Amy, but where’s Zach? And who’s that old bald guy? Is he Zach?
Meanwhile, outside
Amy picked up the glass that was placed in front of her…
Thank you for being so patient. Zach told us so much about you. Are you just coming from school?
I just sneaked out from a boring activity at school about online and offline safety. I already know all that stuff anyway!
Naww, can’t be… can it???
I don’t think so, maybe he’s Zach’s dad??
I don’t know. I’m….
Well, I’m sure he’ll be here any minute now.
What’s the matter, Amy? Are you Okay? DANGER LURKS AND LAYS WHERE OUR CHILDREN PLAY
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Amy! Amy! Are you okay?
Hey! What’s happening to her?!?
Honey! Can you come right now? Amy seems to be very ill…. Hurry!!
Amy, come with me, I’ll take you to the doctor.
Mr. James quickly takes Amy out the back exit to the alleyway…
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Hey! What should we do?
Meanwhile, Mr. James’ vehicle quickly speeds up the back alley to the Internet shop. DANGER LURKS AND LAYS WHERE OUR CHILDREN PLAY
Hey…What’s he doing… where’s he taking Amy?!?
Let’s just think… Don’t panic! Ok… I’m trying to remember what we learned in the L.E.A.P safety seminar yesterday!!!
Hurry up you idiot! I told you to keep the engine running and stay by the door!
Hey, there they go in that van!!! STOP… STOP!!!
I think I can make out part of their license plate number…
I’ll go and get the bag she left inside, maybe Amy has Zach’s contact info inside!
it’s ภษ xxxx something… that’s all I could read!
You guys call 911 and try to find the police or someone that can help us… HURRY!!
Hey there’s a Policeman….
Stop! Stop!
You go and call 911… I’ll go and look for Help us please! a Police DANGER LURKS AND LAYS WHERE OUR CHILDREN PLAY Officer!
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So, if you think you’ve learned anything about online and offline safety from this story then visit this website: www.leapsmartandgetpaid.com and register, answer a few safety questions from this story and qualify to win 500,000 baht!
Officer, our friend has been kidnapped by some very bad men!!
It just happened a few minutes ago. We got the partial license plate number of their van!!
I got her school bag…
PLEASE HELP US OFFICER!!
So you kids witnessed the abduction?? Can you provide me with a description of the kidnappers and their vehicle?? 36
DANGER LURKS AND LAYS WHERE OUR CHILDREN PLAY
I will help you, but you have to stay calm and tell me everything that happened!! Try to stick to the details….
The kids quickly tell the Officer everything that happened!
And then they threw her into a van and drove off! The van’s license plate is ภษ xx something… that’s all I could read!
I need one of you, call CRN and get the message out, while I issue a city-wide police alert to locate the van.
OK, we have a CRN station at our school. I’ll call them now!!
The only way to find that van in time is to send out an urgent message over the Community Radio Network!
Yes, it was a green van with a partial license plate of ภษ xx something….
The Community Radio Network is a city-wide network of schools, businesses, groups, and organizations interconnected through an online radio network.
It was two men, we OK, that’s enough think! One was an old information to get out bald Farang guy, but we the alert, you kids did didn’t really get a good well! Hold the line. look at the driver!
It’s getting dark as the van pulls up to a house at the end of an alley several kilometers away. The bad guys carry Amy into the house.
Don’t worry boss, I was moving so fast, no one could keep up with us!
Are you sure that you weren’t followed? If we get caught here in Thailand we’re DANGER LURKS AND LAYS WHERE OUR CHILDREN PLAY finished!
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Wake up little girl! I want to see your pretty little face while we have some fun together!
I’ll be right back... you had better be up and ready!
How can I get out of here… why didn’t I stay in school today?
Come on little lady… it’s time to have some fun! You sneaked out of that boring safety seminar to see me! If you had stayed in class, this might not be happening!
go to www. leap smart and win .com
Leave me alone….. please don’t hurt me!!! I want to go home!!!
Hey, good girl… you’re finally awake.
Freeze right there!!! Now step away from the girl!!! Go to www. leapsmartand win.com for a chance to win 500,000 Baht!
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DANGER LURKS AND LAYS WHERE OUR CHILDREN PLAY
So what are you waiting for, I’m sure you’ve learned something by now so go to www. leapsmartandgetpaid.com and register to win 500,000 baht!
She wanted it! She even skipped school to meet me today! I’m innocent! I didn’t do any thing to her that she didn’t ask for!
You were very lucky young lady, can you tell us what happened?
Is that the guy who abducted you?
Yes, that’s the man who drugged me and brought me to this house! Then he tried to rape me! Thanks for rescuing me! How could you know that I was in danger??? And how did you find me so quickly???
The real thanks goes to your 3 friends and the Community Radio Network at your school, they’re the real heroes!
Oh, Amy!
Mommy!!!! I am so sorry I was a bad girl and didn’t listen to you or my teachers!
I will never do it again!!! I have really learned my lesson this time!!
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Hey Detective, there’s some real bad stuff here on this computer...but many of the files have been encrypted and I can’t access them!
Did you guys really think you were going to just come to Thailand and harm our kids? We know how to deal with your kind of scum!!
Don’t worry, my top computer experts will be here shortly. I’m quite confident that they’ll be able to access whatever’s on that hard drive!
“Just then, there’s a knock at the door”
I’m in... and I can’t believe what we’ve found names, addresses, times, dates, places, pictures, videos... everything we’ll need to bring the entire network down!!
We’ll see about that! Something tells me that everything we need is right here on your computer! Let’s see if I’m right!
Hey Detective Siraporn, I hear we have a really bad situation here...where’s the computer with the encrypted files on it?
We need to get in contact with Interpol immediately! They can round up the rest of this pedophile network before word gets out that we’re on to them!
It’s over there on the table. We need to get access to the files fast, because I think this is just the tip of a very large iceberg!
Here’s a flash drive containing all the information we’ve found on their hard-drive Detective...we need to get this to Interpol ASAP!
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Whatever dude... You may have caught us, but our network is too big and strong to be stopped!!
DANGER LURKS AND LAYS WHERE OUR CHILDREN PLAY
Working together with Interpol, the Thai Police smashed a major international pedophile ring!
Well class, we have a very lucky young lady here who would like to say something to you all… Amy!
The next day, back at the Pasanusornbangkae Commercial School
Thank you Mr. Chanarong, I didn’t take the L.E.A.P. Safety course seriously, and it almost cost me my life yesterday… Don’t make the same mistake I did!
Thank you Amy, I’m sure that after hearing what you just went through, every student, not just at our school, but throughout Thailand, will take online/offline safety much more seriously. Because the next person may not be as lucky as you...
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One in four children go offline to meet online ‘friends!’ Children sneaking out to visit online “friends” Children are becoming bolder and putting themselves in danger by secretly meeting people they have met online, a Government report has found.
a lot more”. She added that online activities such as using podcasting tools and posting user generated content online weren’t as popular two years ago.
Children today are three times more likely to meet up with a stranger than they would have been just two or three years ago, according to the findings of the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) in its strategic overview of 2006 to 2007.
However, she also said that these sites and tools were “not solely or necessarily” to blame for the increase in unsafe behavior:
In its research, based on a sample of 6,000 children aged between 11 and 16, the organization found that a quarter had met someone face-to-face after first contacting them online. This figure is three times higher than that found in a similar study carried out by the organization two years ago. Of those children who met up with a stranger, over a quarter did not take anyone with them. Of the three quarters who did along take someone with them, four fifths took another child friend, which the organization said “put them both in danger”. Only six per cent took a parent, and two per cent took a trusted adult.
“Pedophiles go anywhere children go and are constantly using new technologies to interact with and groom children. They may meet these children on a social networking site but could then take them into private chat rooms where they can continue to groom them without the screening they would find on a site.” John Carr, secretary of the Children’s Charities Coalition for Internet Safety, described the results as “astonishing and alarming”, but agreed that social networking sites were not to blame. “If you ask the police they will say that their main concern is still instant messaging as a child is on their own and can be more easily groomed,” he told Computeractive.
The CEOP told Computeractive that the growth in children meeting with people offline had “probably come from the explosion in social networking sites over the past few years” and the fact that children spent a lot more time online.
His views were backed up by the CEOP’s 2006 reporting figures, which showed that it received more than 1,400 reports from children saying that they had been groomed online. Of these, two out of three said that it happened in chatrooms or when using instant messaging.
A representative for the organization said: “There is far more user generated content around now than there was two or three years ago and children are utilizing Web 2.0
Since then the organization has worked with companies such as Microsoft, which makes the popular Windows Live! Messenger software, to put in place a symbol that can
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be clicked if a child feels uncomfortable. This takes them straight to the CEOP reporting site where they can cut and paste the conversation for CEOP trained staff to investigate and, if necessary, trace the person in question. The organization has now said that it wants this tool to be more visible on every site and is calling on the internet industry to help them make reporting easier. It feels that this will not only help to children keep safe, but also act as “deterrent” against pedophiles. “We need to educate children on the availability of this logo and need these sites to help us do it. If it becomes widespread and is visible to pedophiles then they might think twice about entering these sites to groom children” said the CEOP representative.
Children are also advised by the organization to refrain from putting too much personal information online. Parents concerned about their children’s online behavior are also advised by the CEOP to visit its education website, which offers a range of hints and tips to keep children safe online. This includes sitting down with the child to discuss the dangers of meeting people online and finding out who they are talking to. Source: Andrea-Marie Vassou, Computeractive 31 Aug 2007
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON HOW TO STAY SAFER ONLINE AND OFFLINE GO TO
www.leapingsmart.com
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