Slashdot Mirror
Using Technology to Find Missing Children?
GregAllen asks: "We live in a world where technology provides us global communication and instant gratification. The internet has made the world a much smaller place, and news travels at the speed of electrons.
However, it's still pretty easy to hide. There is an epidemic in the U.S. -- the government estimates that there are 350,000 family kidnapping per year. You never think it will happen to you, but it did happen to me -- my ex-wife kidnapped our daughter and has been missing for almost 6 months. She's wanted by the FBI, but she hasn't been found. See the Find Sabrina website -- there's a $10K reward. When you are confronted with this situation, the world is an overwhelmingly large place. How would the alpha geeks at Slashdot use technology to locate someone that doesn't want to be found?" While putting up a website to assist in the search helps, are there other digital methods one can employ to assist in the search?
You have my sympathy and concern for your child, but the according to a recent column in "Cecil Adam's" Straight Dope the 350,000 kids abducted number may be exagerated.
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Chances are their family have been in contact. Hotmail addresses are usually easy to crack, especially when you have access to the person owning the account. Click "remind me of password", answer the question - 9/10 of them are "mothers maiden name" - which you probably know, and read email.
OK, It's not legal, its not moral, but its a way. My friend (a real one - not an urban legend), cracked his girlfriends email account (which I moaned at him for a while). Found out she was sleeping with someone else, or at least telling her friends she was.
It might be a good first step.
1.) Make very good friends with her mother (or anybody that she is likely to contact.)
2.) Lie. This is unfortunate, but necessary. She's lying about you. Lie to that relative about her, and the dangers she presents to your child. Fabricate proof.
3.) Tell the relative that you aren't interested in going to the authorities or even taking your daughter away from her mother. Give messages to the relative to pass on to your daughter, "just in case you hear from her mother."
4.) Wait. Eventually there will be contact. Don't try to take your daughter back yourself, but don't fully trust the police either. Before contacting the authorities, personally make sure that you have direct exact knowledge of your daughter's position so that the mother can't get away in case the police bumble.
I am only suggesting something this extreme because you say that your daughter is in real danger.
Anyone thinking about replying with 5.)??? 6.) Profit to this post needs serious mental help.
I've always wanted to do a few things in this respect. Unfortunately, I bet the vast majority of those kidnappings are by relatives of the kid. The basic response here is "You can only do so much." Those who would take your child would know of protections you might have in place beforehand, such as GPS watches/locater radios, etc.
Therefore the best defense is a very deep knowledge of your family, friends, associates, etc, that your child is liable to be alone with for any length of time. As the child grows up it is imperative to teach safety. Not just the usual "Don't talk to strangers." but how to call for help in various situations. Memorize the phone number, address, etc. It's a thin line, though, you don't want to scare the kid.
Prevention, however, doesn't help you now. If you have no idea where they might be, then you have to spend your time targetting the entire world, which is probably out of your reach. If you can even narrow it down to a state then you have a much better chance. But the reality is that a person can make money, rent a place, and go to the store infrequently without ever using any technology that is traceable. SS numbers can be faked (are sometimes never checked since there is a fee involved for the employer and small town bank), checks can be cashed and drawn on small-time banks.
As has been said here again and again, it is extrememly unlikely that your ex broke all ties with everyone they ever knew that you know about.
I wish you the best of luck. Things will turn out ok.
-Adam