I got an e-mail I’m itching to debunk, but I can’t reach snopes for some reason. Don’t you hate it when a site you want won’t come up? It probably will later, but I want it now!!
In the meantime, what do you all make of this? I don’t trust anything I get in e-mail anyway, I’m just curious to see the Straight Dopers’ reactions (My general reaction is, if this story is true, this creep is one of dozens and you ought not trust anyone you meet in a chat room out of hand like this. And thinking you can warn the entire world away from one guy whom you don’t even have a real name for is just plain silly. So that’s my reaction: It’s all damn silly. Anyway, here it is:
There is yet another sicko in this world that is tricking women into his web of lies to meet him. I don’t like to send this kind of information out and I’m sure some of you don’t want to receive it but I would feel horrible thinking that this man may have lured one of you into his tangle web and hurt one of you or maybe a family member or even a friend of yours. I got this from another list I’m on and I hope you can forward this information on to help prevent a crime from happening. Thanks a bunch!
Lolly
Please read this carefully and take a good look at the picture enclosed. If you have any information or know who this child is, please contact Cindertaz@aol.com. I frequent a chat room for Abuse Survivors. Approximately 2 months ago I was in the chat room. A man came into the room with the screen name CptAhab423. He chatted for a while and was extremely charming. He told us that he had a 16 yr. old daughter named Rebecca who was having some serious problems and he needed some advice. He also told us that he was a widow and that Rebecca had been brutally raped. Our hearts went out to this man.
Several of the ladies in the room offered to speak with Rebecca. Our room is for support of survivors and of their family and friends. CptAhab423 switched screen names and Rebecca (RebeccaApr) came into our room.
Rebecca and I struck up a friendship immediately and began talking on a regular basis (almost daily). She even started calling me mom. She became very close with many people in our room especially the younger survivors.
CptAhab423, who said his name was Dave Connor, became a regular in our room as well and talked a lot to me and several other regulars. He portrayed himself to be quite wealthy and successful. Dave would always tell me and the other members that we had done so much for Rebecca. She was doing better in therapy, sleeping better and finally coming out of her shell. All of us were more than happy to help.
One day Rebecca asked me where I lived. She told me that they lived near and asked if we could meet. I told her that I would have to discuss it with her dad. Rebecca really pressured me a lot about meeting.
I talked with Dave (CptAhab423) and explained that I had a rule to never meet any of my Internet friends. He said he understood, but kept pressuring me to meet, telling me that Rebecca really needed me. I kept refusing explaining to him that I could never replace her mother or spend enough time with her because of the distance. I told him that I did not want to let her down.
A few weeks later Dave told me that they had caught Rebecca’s rapist and that Rebecca would have to testify in court. He said she was regressing and was very upset about testifying. Dave then asked me if I would at least meet them at the court house on the day that Rebecca had to testify. He said she really needed my support. I agreed to do it because I felt so bad for this child. Dave told me that court would be in October.
Dave had been talking a lot with Jane (a single mom in her forties) in our room. They talked on the phone a lot and started an online romance. Dave had talked her into meeting him and Rebecca in person and also into going to court when Rebecca had to testify. Dave had even asked Jane to marry him.
When Dave and Jane would talk on the phone, Jane would ask to talk with Rebecca and Dave would always tell her that she was asleep or not home. Jane started getting suspicious and did some checking. She called the Houston Police and found that the story Dave told about the rapist being in jail and the trial was all untrue. She called the company that Dave had said he owned and found that they did not know anyone by the name of Dave Connor. She checked on the street address that Dave gave her and found out it was a vacant lot. She called Dave and confronted him. He hung up on her and both screen names immediately disappeared from AOL.
I am worried that this man will find someone who will meet up with him and I am so afraid of what his motives are. He is very smart and fooled many people. We have come to the conclusion that there most likely was no daughter. I have enclosed the picture that Rebecca sent me hoping to find out who the teenager in the photo is.
Dave tried to set up meetings only after Jane and I had sent Rebecca pictures of ourselves. Jane and I are both in our forties, blonde hair, green eyes, etc. I truly feel that any man who would make up a daughter to lure women to meet him could be quite dangerous. I am worried that he will lure some unsuspecting female to meet him and harm her.
Please pass this Email on to as many people as you can.
Cindy
[Unable to display image]
“I hope life isn’t a big joke, because I don’t get it,” Jack Handy