Last week, the daughter of a friend that my husband grew up with went missing. Just typing and seeing the word “missing” made my heart jump. Who would think that something like this could happen so close to home and to someone you actually know? Unfortunately, I have to say that these kinds of things never surprise me or shock me because I try to be realistic about the dangers that exist out there for my children.
The heinous crime took place in the same manner that most of these events occur. An eleven year old girl left her home to walk to school and was never seen from again. Police have since arrested a man whom they found had been sending her pornographic images via E-Mail. They found this evidence upon inspection of her home computer and E-Mail accounts. As I’m sure most of us already know, the internet has become a vehicle for these kinds of predators to prey on young innocent children.
Unfortunately, as of yet, interrogating him has not yielded the whereabouts of this young girl. Nobody has seen or heard from her since last Tuesday morning. It is every parent’s nightmare to send their child off to school and to never have them return. Parents in the child’s community have banded together to spread the word and try to get this child safely home. They are doing this by using every available media outlet such as, Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, Local Media News, E-Mail, and Blackberry Messenger, Honestly, my heart bleeds for her mother.
It is important that we, as parents, recognize that real dangers still exist out in the world that can harm our children. Although it is not good to be paranoid and suffocate your children, you should be aware that there are real predators out there whose sole purpose in life is to prey upon and hurt young children. Many of us have become complacent because we don’t hear very often of children being kidnapped or disappearing but, unfortunately, it is still a read danger that lurks out there.
I thought it my moral obligation to post her photo and pertinent information on my blog to see if anyone at all has seen her. Please take a moment out of your busy schedule to pay close attention and see if you recognize this young girl. She could have been your child…
AMBER ALERT: Sahara Boyd., 11, of 560 Balcom Ave., Bronx, NY
last seen leaving her residence on Tuesday, Sept 14th at 7:45 a.m. wearing a
white shirt, blue pants, and gray sneakers. She is Hispanic, 5’3″, 130lbs
has brown eyes, and short brown hair. Anyone with
information as to her whereabouts is asked to call NYPD Crime
Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477). All calls are confidential.
© 2010, Tough Cookie Mommy. All rights reserved.
Oh my goodness, that is awful. I hope they find her safe and sound!!!
I am a new follower from b2sb2b.
Lolo, it is really a nightmare for any parent. I hope they find her safe and sound also. Thank you so much for following. I really appreciate it.
So scary and horrible. I'm going to tweet this.
Thank you, Sherri. It helps a lot if we can get her photo out to as many people as possible. It is horrible…
I think this is something every parent dreads Maria, and even though my three are older as a teacher I still felt that each one of my treasures was my responsibility and would worry for their safety even out of school hours. As I read your blog entry today I had goosebumps and tears well up. I feel for Sahara's mother – no mother should have to go through what she is going through. And what that wee girl is going through I hate to imagine. Sending warm positive thoughts her way and hoping for a quick conclusion. I don't know how we can inform our children any more than we already do about being super aware of how social networking is so much more of a danger nowadays in this respect. Fingers crossed. Ciao
Maree, you are right on point by saying that we have to inform and educate our children about the dangers of social networking. Unfortunately, these mediums have become a breeding ground for pedophiles and other types of predators. As parents, we have to closely monitor our children's use of the internet and set up parental controls to protect them. I am so sad for this mother and her family. I also hope Sahara is found safe and sound.
Just twitted!
This story just reminds me of that 4 year old girl that went missing on holiday – Madeleine McCann.
I hope they find the girl – it must be horrific for the parents no knowing what to do.
horrible, absolutely horrible. I have goosebumps just thinking about it…
Thank you so much for following! She was found yesterday and is back with her mother. I don't have any details on her return yet but I will post an update as soon as I hear something.
I got chills reading this post. I hope the poor child is found safely soon.
You're right that we need to be very cautious in this dangerous world. I wrote a post a while back about our shock when a close childhood friend of my husband was convicted of an alarmingly large amount of child pornography. You just never know…
Visiting you from Mom Loop. My heart and prayers go out to that little girls family. I hope they find her!