Teenage Victim’s Father Speaks Out about Daughter Being Solicited Online:
This one is so wrong on so many levels, I don’t even know where to begin…
An FBI investigation led to the arrest of a Wisconsin man accused of having a relationship with a West Texas teenager, who is a minor. Thirty-nine year-old John Krieser was arrested in his home in Cudahy, Wisconsin, he’s now charged with sexual assault. NewsChannel 11’s Kealey McIntire spoke with the victim’s father and has more.
Raymond Stapleton says he knew his daughter was talking online with John Krieser for almost a year and a half, however he didn’t know until two months ago that Krieser was 39. Krieser’s MySpace profile doesn’t even give his age, it says he’s 99-years-old.
Stapleton says he’s heard of teenagers being solicited online in the past, however he never thought it would happen to his daughter.
It all started in a seemingly innocent way, two people chatting online. However, Raymond Stapleton says what would happen over the next several months are shocking. “I was one of those parents– all my life I said this will never happen to my child,” commented Stapleton.
His daughter was 15-year’s-old when she started chatting with John Krieser on MySpace. One of Krieser’s profiles says he’s 23.
Stapleton knew his daughter had chatted online with Krieser and had occasional phone conversations with him, however didn’t learn until January that Krieser’s true age is 39, and that Krieser traveled from his home in Wisconsin to Abernathy to visit his daughter. That’s when Stapleton called police. “When I found out he was here, within feet of my home taking my daughter in his van to who knows where, then I said no, something’s gotta be done about this.”
The Texas Rangers report states “Krieser stayed with the teen for two nights during the first visit and for three nights during the second visit in August 2005.”
Both times they stayed at the Motel Six near Interstate-27 in Lubbock. Also according to the report, the teen said “she had sex with Krieser one time at the motel. She stated the sex was consensual. She said she was 15 at the time.”
The report also documents the precautions Stapleton took. It states “the teen had been cautioned about online contact with older men in the past.” It also says “cordless phones were removed from the Stapleton residence to prevent the teen from talking to Krieser.”
Stapleton tells us he used many internet safety tools, but nothing worked. He says the best advice he can give to other parents is always know who your kids are chatting with. “You don’t want to be a buddy or pal all the time, but you do need to be a friend when it comes to something like this. You do need to know what they’re doing, you do need to look in there.”
Stapleton says he began noticing questionable behavior when his daughter wanted to spend more time online than with family or friends. He says another way you can help fight internet predators is to keep your computer in a more used family room, not in your child’s bedroom.
And of course, we have MySpace profile goodness. Thanks to the ever reliable Mr. A we have one of Krieser’s MySpace profiles here. Why does a 39-year-old man have such an obsession with rubber duckies? Anyway, we’ll have more MySpace profile goodness on Krieser from Mr. A later on tonight.
