Police: Teen Went To California To Meet Online Acquaintance

The Howell teenager who ran away from her Howell home on Feb. 5 wound up in California, Howell Township police said Thursday afternoon.

Kimberly Pedre, 16, who left a note for her family and then walked away from her home near the Taunton School, was located in Willits, Calif., on Saturday, March 21, according to a statement issued by Howell Detecive Sgt. Eileen Dodd, who said she was located with the help of the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Department.

“She travelled to California to meet with a person that she met online,” Dodd said. California’s Child Protective Services Agency took custody of Kimberly on Saturday and secured an airline ticket for her to travel home on Monday, and she was met at the airport by her family, Dodd said.

Pedre and her family also lived in Brick for a time and attended Veterans Memorial Middle School and Brick Memorial High School, according to family members who contacted the Brick Patch.

Details about who Pedre went to meet or how she got to California were not available.

“Luckily Kimberly is home and this case had a happy ending,” she said, but added that it is a reminder to parents of the importance of discussing internet/chat room safety with children.

Dodd shared a partial list of internet safety tips, courtesy of the New York Public Library:

• Personal Information. Don’t give out personal information without your parents’ permission. This means you should not share your last name, home address, school name, or telephone number. Remember, just because someone asks for information about you does not mean you have to tell them anything about yourself!
• Screen Name. When creating your screen name, do not include personal information like your last name or date of birth.
• Passwords. Don’t share your password with anyone but your parents. When you use a public computer make sure you logout of the accounts you’ve accessed before leaving the terminal.
• Photos. Don’t post photos or videos online without getting your parents’ permission.
• Online Friends. Don’t agree to meet an online friend unless you have your parents’ permission. Unfortunately, sometimes people pretend to be people they aren’t. Remember that not everything you read online is true.
• Online Ads. Don’t buy anything online without talking to your parents first. Some ads may try to trick you by offering free things or telling you that you have won something as a way of collecting your personal information.
• Bullying. Don’t send or respond to mean or insulting messages. Tell your parents if you receive one. If something happens online that makes you feel uncomfortable, talk to your parents or to a teacher at school.

Also, on a side note, many parents feel that monitoring their children’s internet use is a violation of the child’s privacy. There are many different opinions on this topic. Every child is different and no answer is right for each family. But, please remember -- there is nothing more important than your child’s safety. Nothing.

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