The following stories have been 'borrowed' from their respective newspapers. We haven't posted these to 'scare' anyone, but just maybe to emphasize that there are more than a couple of ways an online relationship can go when it makes the jump to real life. We've edited the names to save them a 'little' embarrassment.
The first is rather humorous, despite it's ending, but the second two, which are connected and still on-going, are NO laughing matter.
We make no judgements on either situation. Instead, we simply offer them for your perusal. Like the old adage goes, "Check the depth of the water before you go diving in."
Be true to who and 'what' you are:
| The
London Free Press London, Ontario, Canada April 10, 1999 Love affair on Internet became a nightmare Love bloomed on the Internet for K. M. last year ('98), but his romance with a woman from the other side of the planet turned sour when reality intruded. M. was making a comfortable living as an independent wine merchant in London when he met a woman from New Zealand via an electronic chat room and was smitten. Talk turned to love and love turned to talk about getting together. M., now 34, paid the woman's way to Canada in March 1998. She was leaving behind a daughter who lived with her estranged husband. The cyberspace cupid seemed to have good aim, lawyer P. B. said. The couple fell in love of the face-to-face, non-electronic kind. But, he added, his client had overstated his income somewhat over the electronic highway and his new love had expensive tastes. The story, which had unfolded earlier in the courtroom of Judge D. L., shifted briefly to Grand Bend (Ont.) where the couple bought a home. Money was getting really tight by now. The woman decided to reclaim her teenage daughter, who was by now living with her father, on an island in French Polynesia in the mid-Pacific Ocean, east of Australia. The scenario took another sharp swerve at this point when the estranged husband and father died suddenly of a heart attack. Now, M. had to pay for his beloved to fly halfway around the world, retrieve the daughter and come back. The bank account was in crisis. To add to his financial pain, it turned out the daughter hated Canada and hated him, too. Broke and desperate, M. last July 11 put on an eye patch, donned a baseball hat and white gloves and walked into the TD bank at ~~~ Rd. N. with robbery on his mind. Even that didn't go well. After M. had pleaded guilty to the robbery, (Judge) L. was told this was his own branch, where he was well known. The manager recognized him right away, clumsy disguise and all. The teller first assumed he was a customer, then the man who watered the plants. M. fled with about $2,500 but, with no secret about his identity, he was soon rounded up by police. B. said M. has made restitution to the bank and with the help of his parents has sent mother and daughter back home. The romance is over. The lawyer argued for a conditional sentence, which would be served in the community, because of the unusual circumstances of the case and M.'s prior clean record. He is highly unlikely to re-offend, B. said. (Judge) L. accepted the submission and gave M. a conditional sentence of 18 months, put him on a 9 p.m.-to-7 a.m. curfew, ordered him to abstain from alcohol and to take any recommended counselling. In addition, he must do 120 hours of community service. Although his romance fizzled, B. said, M. is a strong candidate for rehabilitation. |
| The Missoulian Missoula, Montana August 21, 1998 Missoula police snare woman's 'obsessive' Internet correspondent
The Internet is the gateway to many things, and trouble is one of them. Take the case of M. E.W., of S., Idaho. W., 35, met P.A. on the Internet about six months ago. The two became friendly, and had dated recently, court records filed Thursday state. Even so, A. thought of W. as a friend. W. apparently took the relationship more seriously, Missoula police and prosecutors believe. In fact, they describe his feelings toward A. as "obsessive." That alleged obsession is what brought W. to Missoula Wednesday, Detective G. W. believes. "I think he came over here with the idea of doing something more serious," (Det.) W. said Thursday. As it was, W. was arrested after an afternoon and evening of trying to track down both A. and her boyfriend, R. B., at their jobs. He repeatedly went to B.'s home, and was charged in Justice Court Thursday with surreptitious visual observation, a misdemeanor crime. At one point, W. allegedly threatened B., who had arrived home as W. drove by his S. Avenue house. "If I catch you with P., I will gut you like a fish," W. told B., according to court records. W. was charged with felony intimidation for the alleged threat. (Det.) W. said he believes W. was serious about harming B., in part because police found a loaded 9 mm pistol in the suspect's pickup truck. That gun has been reported stolen in California, but W. has not been charged with the theft. In court Thursday, W. said authorities had made a mistake by arresting him. He came to Missoula only because he and others were concerned about A.'s welfare. "We hadn't heard from her for four days and we talk to her every week," W. told Justice of the Peace M. J.. "And it's not an obsession." (J.P.) J. set W.'s bail at $100,000 based on police reports and the recommendation from Deputy Missoula County Attorney K. L.. |
| *Part II* November 5, 1998 Stalker charged after baseball bat incident By MICHAEL MOORE of the Missoulian Out on bail and facing a possible prison sentence, M. E. W. had
every reason to stay away from He apparently couldn't do it. W., 35, was caught late Sunday night outside the S. Avenue home of A. and her roommate, R.B.. Missoula police Detective G. W. said B. and A. were awakened shortly after 11 p.m. Sunday by the sound of someone walking around outside the home. "They observed someone walking around with some sort of bat," (Det.)W. said. "They tried to use the phone but it didn't work. The power also had been cut. I don't know what exactly he intended to do, but I don't think it was good." B. called police on a cell phone. After a block-long foot chase, Officer M. H. caught and arrested W., who had a pair of surgical gloves with him at the time, (Det.) W. said. He was charged in Justice Court on Monday with criminal mischief, stalking, attempted burglary and tampering with witnesses, all felonies. Bail was set at $100,000, an amount additional to the $10,000 bond W. posted the first time he was arrested for harassing A. and B.. That arrest came in mid-August, when W. was charged with felony intimidation for allegedly telling B. he would "gut him like a fish." W. also was charged with surreptitious visual observation, a misdemeanor, for allegedly observing B. and A. at their workplaces. W. met A. on the Internet early in 1998, and dated her shortly before the August incident, court records state. Police say W. became obsessed with A., a charge W. denied. After his August court appearance, W. was ordered to stay away from A. and B.. "But he couldn't do it," (Det.) W. said. The August charges are pending against W. in District Court and likely will be joined with the new charges filed Monday. *Hopefully, we'll be able to post the sentencing, once it's made available.* |
| Idaho Man Gets 25 Years in Stalking Case By MICHAEL MOORE of the Missoulian Obsession is expensive. Just ask M. E. W.. W.'s preoccupation with a Missoula woman he met on the Internet cost him 25 years in prison Tuesday. District Judge John Henson sentenced the 25-year-old W. to prison on charges of stalking, criminal mischief, tampering with witnesses and criminal trespass. The charges stem from a November incident outside the home of P. A., who met W. on the Internet in the spring of 1998. W. was arrested Nov. 1, shortly after he cut both the phone and power lines to a home Aipperspach then shared with R. B.. When he was arrested, W. was wearing surgical gloves and carrying a bat, and police believe W. intended to harm A. and B.. W., from Idaho, and A. became friends and briefly dated last summer. However, W. took the relationship more seriously than did A.. He was first arrested in August, when he came to Missoula and told B. he would "gut you like a fish" if he caught her with. W. was charged with felony intimidation and the misdemeanor crime of surreptitious visual observation for watching B.'s home. W. posted $10,000 bond and returned to Idaho under a court order to have nothing to do with A. and B.. He made it to Nov. 1. On that night, A. and B. were awakened by the sound of someone walking around outside the house. They then saw a man holding a bat go past a window. They tried to call police, but W. already had cut the phone line, court records state. B. finally reached authorities on his cell phone. Police arrived, and Officer Mark Horner caught W. after a block long chase on foot. W. was charged with a handful of counts and has been jailed ever
since. W.'s attorney, public defender Larry Mansch, sought probation for
his client at Tuesday's hearing, but Deputy Missoula County Attorney Kirsten
LaCroix painted W. as an unrepentant stalker likely to commit similar crimes
again if released. The 25-year sentence means W. will have to serve more
than four years in prison before becoming eligible for parole. |
"Things may not quite be as they appear". We realize, as well as anyone, that this can concern almost anything, i.r.l. or over the 'net. The thing we want to emphasize is, your access to the 'net, allows you the opportunity to 'check out' that certain person or situation, thoroughly. PLEASE make good use of that opportunity. ~~Sang n M-t.
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