Kehaulani Omakalapua Roberts, 17, may be the latest of a growing number of young women to have met someone through Internet service MySpace, only to disappear.
Looking over the account, she was in touch with several individuals, one or two of which could be the individual mentioned in the article here.
Eureka High School's homecoming queen was reported missing Saturday, and police are working with the girl's parents to establish her whereabouts.
Eureka High senior Kehaulani Omakalapua Roberts, age 17, apparently disappeared from her bedroom sometime between 8 and 9 p.m. Friday.
According to the Eureka Police Department, her mother Ulu Stauffacher filed a police report on Saturday morning. Roberts' parents said they have reason to believe that their daughter may have run away with a man from Fremont who she met online at Myspace.com.
Again, keep the kids off the personal web pages and IM. Period.
Condolences to the family.
Posted by: ViVi | Sunday, January 29, 2006 at 04:52 PM
Evils of iternet !
Posted by: mynewsbot | Sunday, January 29, 2006 at 06:44 PM
Unfortunately, if teens want a website, they will find a way to do so; regardless of how diligent parents are-many of these kids have been internet-savvy since grade school. To me, the only approach to this is similar to that of STDs-educate, and make sure teens have a parent or other responsible adult who will listen and talk with them; as well as watch for warning signs. Unfortunately, many will fall through the cracks, but this seems to be the best-case scenario at this point in time.
Posted by: Ellen | Sunday, January 29, 2006 at 06:58 PM
Parents should also raise their children with common sense. For a young girl at that age to believe she met the love of her life in the real world or on the Internet, something is seriously missing in her upbringing. While I agree they should be monitored it takes much more to be a good parent. If I could afford it, I would buy an entire front page in newspapers warning parents of the dangers involved in these accounts. Too many parents are oblivious. Unfortunately the predators are taking advantage of that.
Posted by: Cindi in PA | Sunday, January 29, 2006 at 07:06 PM
Unfortunately, if teens want a website, they will find a way to do so; regardless of how diligent parents are-many of these kids have been internet-savvy since grade school.
Posted by: Ellen | Sunday, January 29, 2006 at 06:58 PM
True, but parents can control what the kids do on the internet at home. If a kid has no computer access at home, she's not going to be on her personal page at home. Maybe she has a web page she logs onto at a friend's house, but at least her exposure to it is significantly choked off. And there are ways parents can discover a teen's web page without too much effort. It won't happen though I'm afraid because too many parents are lazy.
If kids are internet savvy, parents must make themselves that much more savvy.
Good parenting is all-encompassing but it does INCLUDE teaching and monitoring online habits. It seems that many parents have bought into the notion that teens must have unfettered internet access; that just simply is a fallacy. Many parents, including parents I know, are afraid to stand up to their insolent, demanding teenagers and set rules for appropriate behavior. It needs to stop, and quickly.
Posted by: ViVi | Sunday, January 29, 2006 at 08:11 PM
Parents are 'suppose' to play an important role in their childs life, however there are other role models in a childs life such as educators which teach and run media centers, teaching the latest web builder programs, ect...access to online is easy as 1-2-3, public libraries for starters, also as mention, friends houses... internet cafes, the education is out there, the most important thing parents need to educated themselves and be involved in their childs activities
Posted by: *flo* | Sunday, January 29, 2006 at 10:23 PM
Just because she has a myspace doesnt mean thats what made her go missing.
Ya'll need to stop trying to sensationalize every little aspect of her life. I know literally hundreds of girls with a myspace, and none of them have gone missing.
And I dont care what you older generation of people who dont get what myspace really is. IM are more dangerous than myspace, those are direct, live chats.
Lets just treat this as a MISSING persons case, regardless of whether she had a myspace or not.
All of ya'll are arguing over the most non important info in this case, obviously her parents grounded her for Friday night, and she snuck off, it doesnt take a rocket scientist to figure that one out. Now what happened since then is what is important, not her blog page.
Posted by: Smokey | Sunday, January 29, 2006 at 10:39 PM
All of ya'll are arguing over the most non important info in this case, obviously her parents grounded her for Friday night, and she snuck off, it doesnt take a rocket scientist to figure that one out. Now what happened since then is what is important, not her blog page.
Posted by: Smokey | Sunday, January 29, 2006 at 10:39 PM
The article states there is no evidence of a struggle.
What is important Smokey, her mother is aware her daughter has a MySpace site and suspects her daughter met this guy online...this of course would make her website/blog page an essential tool...I would think too, that "Cox Internet" sent out warnings recently to alert North Coast parents of the dangers that may be associated with the website...this alone sends out red flags.
Posted by: *flo* | Sunday, January 29, 2006 at 11:56 PM
it seems TOO MANY kids who have a my space account are getting killed or hurt or in some sort of trouble...........my daughter is only one and I am hoping she never has the desire to have one.......that or I am going to lock the computer up until she moves out of the house :(
Posted by: truthbetold | Monday, January 30, 2006 at 06:32 AM
She has been located safe and sound - check the Times-Standard website. Thank God - this one turned out okay (as far as we know).
Posted by: TJ | Monday, January 30, 2006 at 07:26 AM
Im glad shes safe and back home. myspace is a good site. kids just need to get realistic about the dangers that is out there. just not only on myspace...but, messenger chats.
Posted by: Darlene | Monday, January 30, 2006 at 09:12 AM
truthbetold- Mine is now six, and she is allowed on the computer. Our ONE FAMILY COMPUTER is located in the kitchen---with the monitor in full view of anyone in the house. She is not allowed to surf the web, but can surf a site I have approved. I watch. This is the same as with the t.v. She is allowed to watch t.v., but if she wants to change the channel, she has to have an adult do that for her.
I am accused of being overly protective. Oh, well.
As she grows, these restrictions will change, and accomodate her capacity for greater self-responsibility, but I will always be there to protect her.
There is a lot of peer-pressure for parents. Funny thought, but it is true nonetheless. If you don't let your child do something---you position yourself to be shamed by those who do.
Posted by: New Creature | Monday, January 30, 2006 at 09:36 AM
The link to the article: http://times-standard.com/local/ci_3452133
Posted by: New Creature | Monday, January 30, 2006 at 09:43 AM
I am accused of being overly protective. Oh, well
I think you are being SMART and those who think not are usually the parents who end up saying "we had no idea"....
Posted by: truthbetold | Monday, January 30, 2006 at 07:45 PM
MySpace is a good way to maintain friends after graduation and to reaquaint old ones. Meeting new boys/girls and forming relationships is out of one's hands and if they are going to do it-it will happen. Online relationships aren't healthy and shouldn't be formed over these internet sites but they can't be prevented and teens are going to do it regardless.
Posted by: unknown | Saturday, April 08, 2006 at 02:41 PM