Let me preface this by giving my apologies that this post is so long; I simply want to make sure I give all the details so that you all know the progression of things. Ok, so I received about 12 random text messages on my PC's aircard one day out of the blue. Like a cellphone, it has a mobile number and can send/receive txt messages like any other phone, you just can't talk on it - it's data only. So I'm reading these text messages and they are all from this girl, we'll call her Sally, and she goes on and on about how she wants to see another movie with whom she thinks these txt messages are going to, let's call him Dave. So Sally keeps sending messages to my aircard like "Dave let's go see another movie" and "Dave why aren't you responding." I think it's spam originally and for 3 days this goes on. Finally, after realizing I'm paying like $0.15 for each of these messages, I respond and say "this is not Phil. You have the wrong number." Expecting silence or a simple "Sorry" I instead got more messages from this girl telling me about her life and problems and wanting to know all about me. I cautiously exchange some limited information, and instead of ceasing the texting she asks to see a movie with me. Being a single guy in his early 20's and she, claiming to be a single girl that is 18, I accept this invitation and we arrange a date about 2 weeks away. She continues to txt me daily and asks me to call her once on the phone. I do this and we talk for awhile about movies, politics, and other mundane things. She keeps texting me and she starts getting very attached very quickly - this is an indicator to me that she might not be 18, so I ask again, I even ask for her birthdate. She swears she's 18, she gives me a date and it jives so I keep texting with her. Bear in mind that NEVER was anything sexual or even remotely out of line discussed, this is all just niceties and generic topics. That night she calls my phone - I don't notice because I forgot it's on vibrate. I see it was her number and a voicemail has been left so I check it, but it's not her leaving the message. Instead it's a man whom I assume to be her father although he never claims that, saying he wants 2-3 good reasons why he shouldn't call the police on me and that it would be in my best interest if I never call the girl again. It's my natural assumption at this point that this girl must not even be close to 18. If this is her father, he has a right to be upset, but calling the cops? If he wants to discuss it I'm very happy to explain the situation, but it's only fair that he realize that I was misled and that I did not initiate contact with her but that it was vice-versa. My intentions were honerable and had I discovered prior or upon meeting her that she was underage I would not have done anything more than tell her to look within her own age bracket. He does not appear to know that, I have no idea what his assumptions are, but if he's willing to call the police over this I can only surmise that he thinks I'm a low-life that wants to get his hands on his daughter. My question is, am I in any real trouble if he does or has called the police? I've only talked to her once and never about anything remotely out of line. Has anything illegal been done? Should I call him back and make sure he understands that at no time was I predatory towards the girl? I must confess I'm a little worried, but I don't feel I've done anything wrong. Advice?
The police can't arrest you for something that you haven't done. If everything that you're saying it's true then you don't have anything to worry about. If I was in your position, I would let things alone for a while. You should save all the messages that she sent you (if you haven't deleted them) and all the future message's that you receive from her. This could be used as evidence in case that the police is involved. If you leave things alone and she txt's you or calls you again, just act normal and ask her what is really going on. Don't act scared or nervous, even if the guys calls you again, because you have nothing to be afraid of. I would just explain to him what you have posted on this thread and he threatens to call the police, tell him he is more than welcomed to do so. Acting scared could just arouse more suspicion on his part. I would not try to get in touch with the girl again. Like I said before, if she txt's you or calls you just try to get an explanation from her. If not, then oh well.
you have done nothing illegal at all. if he does choose to call the police and charges are brought upon you, it should be easy to prove your innocence in court as text messages are easily retrievable. if the texts seem to be appropriate and prove that you were not the one who initiated contact, then the court will not believe any testimony that you were acting innappropriately towards the girl so long as the texts are appropriate. if solid proof in court shows that your innocent, a testimony that your guilty is hard to believe. talking to someone below the age of 18 is not illegal.
actually police can arrest you for something you havent done, thats why courts exist, to decide whether your guilty of what your being charged with. the act of arresting is to seize in order to charge, so they can arrest you for something you havent done because the verdict comes after you've been arrested and tried.
You're are right, but I highly doubt that it would apply to this case. He should be worried if he was sending innapropiate messages to a minor. In that case, he could be prosecuted for trying to participate in sexual acts with a minor. I actually seen how police officers have sting operations and catch a lot of child molestors this way. But the bottom line is, the girl made him believe she was 18 (who knows if it's true or not) and according to him, he was not discussing any kinda of innapropiate topics with this girl. You see what am saying? It would not apply to this case because his intentions were not to break the law in any way.
very true. i was just being nitpicky. sorry. i understand that in a case like this the cops would not arrest him without having a significant amount of reasonable suspicion themselves, which is basically nonexistant.
