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Predators are Sly, Expert Cautions By Michelle Bradford June 5, 2005 |
Morgan Nick’s abductor worked like a classic child
predator, seizing access and opportunity when snatching the 6-yearold from an Alma ballpark in 1995. But police believe he was a stranger to Morgan, and that’s not so common.
Safety experts say it's not the nameless, faceless stranger who's most likely to
abduct children. They're in more danger of being harmed by a relative or someone who knows of them.
An FBI profile indicates that Morgan's abductor was likely a child molester. But police don't know if he knew her, stalked her or lured her. "What parents need to know is that child predators look for access and opportunity," said Nancy McBride, safety director at the
National Center of Missing and Exploited Children. "Morgan’s case clearly demonstrates that."
The circumstances of Morgan's abduction, blocks from a police station, are enough to strike terror in any parent's heart.
At a Rookie League game, a conscientious mother watched her daughter play in the sand yards away.
A batter tied the game, drawing Colleen Nick's attention. The crowd rose in the bleachers. Cheers roared.
When Nick turned back to the sand pile, Morgan was gone, taken by a shadowy bad man, the kind Nick and millions of other parents had warned their children against.
When Morgan vanished, there weren't Amber Alerts, age-progression photos or thirsty attention from 24-hour news networks.
Today, parents can outfit children with
GPS locators — the same devices some states use to track convicted pedophiles, or freeze DNA in case a sample is needed later.
"Precaution and technology aside, missing-children cases like Morgan’s persist", McBride said. Source:
nwanews.com |
