Note: While these stories are based on actual events, names and certain details have been altered or removed to protect the privacy of the subjects.

The hidden dangers of chatrooms

Ben, age 14, was a dedicated fan of pro football—he never missed a game during the season. He also liked computers, so it wasn't long before he joined a fantasy football chatroom. He chatted regularly with many other users, including a person named Dennis. It got to the point where they started to chat privately once the season started, and kept in touch by email regularly with news and comments about games they each watched on television.

Everything was fine until Dennis suddenly started asking questions about Ben's school and home life: How old was he? What grade was he in? Where did he live in Nevada? Who did he live with? Where was his Dad? Since they were friends and Dennis had shared his own story, Ben didn't think the questions were too unusual—football chatrooms attract fans of all ages from all parts of the world. In fact, Dennis revealed that he lived in Canada.

Then Dennis started sending emails with sexual references which led to details of his sexual fantasies and web addresses for men-and-boys pornography. Ben told Dennis to stop, but the emails continued; Dennis then became threatening against Ben and his mother unless Ben agreed to play along, and to meet him in the future.

Ben finally told his mother, who forwarded the material to a cyber tipline. Dennis was arrested in Windsor, Ontario a short time later. Police discovered he had a plane ticket to Nevada, a reservation number for a hotel room and directions to Ben's house. Police then started looking for other victims of sexual exploitation; Dennis had been a junior-league football coach for many years.