Waukesha Internet Chat Turns Serious, Police Called

WAUKESHA, WI — An internet chat involving scary stories turned serious in Waukesha after police were called to a 12-year-old boy's residence, thinking that there was an intruder in the residence.

Waukesha police responded to a residence on the 2700 block of Meadowbrook Road just after 11:30 a.m. on Nov. 6 on a report of juvenile trouble.

Waukesha police told Patch that a 12-year-old Waukesha boy was on an internet chat site called "Amino" with another person from out-of-state when the Waukesha boy made up a scary story that there was an intruder in the house.

Police said the person at the other end of that chat line thought the intruder was real, and called Waukesha Police to report it. Waukesha police said the Waukesha boy's parents were unaware he was on this type of chat site, but said they will address it with their son.

"Parents should monitoring their children’s online activity daily as the apps and websites used by children are added and changed on a daily basis," Waukesha police told Patch.com. "A chat app or website is only as safe as the people that are on that site at that moment, but that can and will change every few minutes."

Police said that parents typically agree that they would never leave their young child alone in the mall to talk to literally anyone who walks by, yet most parents allow their young children to go on their internet devices with little or no parental control or supervision.

"Internet safety talks with your children are important, they are today’s version of “stranger danger,” Waukesha police said.

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