Almost everybody on the web knows about Myspace. It’s a cool site to meet friends, old and new. However, sites like these are also a haven for online sex predators. October last year, Taylor Behl’s body was found after missing for a month. She was killed by a man she met on Myspace.
This is a different story. This time, the bad guy gets caught and the supposed victim is saved.
The news article:
NEAR BATTLE CREEK (NEWS 3) – A Battle Creek man is in the Calhoun County jail accused of trying to solicit sex from a minor that turned out to be an undercover police officer.
The Emmett Township Department of Public Safety says they caught 32-year-old Brian Woodman in an Internet sting. He’s accused of chatting with a girl he thought was 14-years-old and then arranging to meet her for sex.
When Woodman arrived for that meeting, he found out that he had been chatting with an undercover police officer.
Woodman was arraigned today on eight felony counts.
The Emmett Township Department of Public Safety organized the sting. They say an officer had numerous illicit conversations with Woodman for about a week before they arranged a time to meet.
The investigation started after a 16-year-old student at Harper Creek high school told the school resource officer that she had been approached by a predator online at the popular website Myspace.com.
“They were very upset about what the person said to them, very creeped out about it, to be frank,” said Emmett Township Public Safety Lt. Tony Geigle. Police created a profile on the site and allegedly started talking with Woodman, posing as a 14-year-old girl.
“Unfortunately, people kind of put too much information on these sites, which allows people, especially predators, to prey on people – unfortunately kids” said Geigle.
Police seized computer equipment from Woodman’s home on North Avenue in Battle Creek.
Woodman’s wife, Nina, said Thursday she never suspected her husband of chatting online with children. “I just don’t see that he would do that to a child,†she said. “I have never seen my husband do anything like that on the internet – nothing with children, no talking to underage people.â€Â
Bond for Woodman was set at $100,000. If he is released, he has been ordered not to have contact with anyone under the age of 16 or use the internet.
Women and children should really be careful on what information they put on their profiles. Please warn your children, younger siblings and female friends.
*Original article can be found here.
What a twist! :)
@laurie – that would be an awesome job. i'd love to work there.
@dre – the should. sometimes they get out because of parole and commit more crimes. the system has it's flaws.
@rose – really sad. especially when it happens to the young ones. imagine the pain and anguish it brings to the parents and family?
@ade – glad you agree with me. unfortunately the lawmakers don't.
@ash – that sounds like a title for a new sci-fi movie. hehe
POLICE vs. PREDATOR
definitely.
its so sad how some people being bored as hell end up giving information, .. personal info..! over the net..
especially kids now adays., they are so easy to trust someone they thought is a nice person,..
NEVER TRUST PEOPLE ONLINE!! haha!! not all the time!
i trust you jaypee! ^_^
just kidding!! takecare!
they should be locked up forever!
I would love to work with the internet crimes dept. for the attorney general here in Texas. Then I could help catch the sleaze balls. I see stuff like this all over the news. sad, indeed.
@ade – they should have more harsher penalties for those predators to teach them a lesson.
@ana – yeah, it's sad to know that there are some people who are capable of such things.
@trench – exactly. that's what i always tell my friends. these pervs are also smart so kids and ladies should really be careful. better safe than sorry.
@hazel – im sure there are more men like him lurking around Myspace. this incident would make them think twice.
There's still alot of Woodman out there. So I hope they'll be caught too.
just dont put anything personal online. never meet with anyone you've met online either! at least not without a few friends with you. I've made some really good friends online, but sexual predators have taken cyberspace crime to another level
pretty creepy dude!
So sad as well…
That's why I only add people I know to my space.
No strangers.
Blah.
woot!!! go! lock up 'em predators!