POUND RIDGE, N.Y. – Tonight, one Pound Ridge mother is being hailed as a hero by her local community.
After discovering a Level 3 sex offender had moved into town and began contacting her daughter online through Facebook, she immediately notified the local police.
Edward Campbell, who in 2002 at the age of 22, was convicted of having sex with a 13 year old girl, had befriended more than 350 teenage girls on Facebook, Twitter, and other social networking sites. Authorities say Campbell was immediately arrested once it was confirmed that he was a registered sex offender communicating with minors.
In addition, he was charged with violating the conditions of his probation when he moved into town and did not register with the local authorities as a convicted sex offender. He faces up to seven years in prison.
The subsequent police investigation uncovered a pattern of predatory behavior since Campbell arrived in town. Police discovered many of the teenagers he befriended were students at various middle schools in the district and that Campbell introduced himself as a rap star.
While there were no reports of him raping any of the girls, police say his intent was very specific and if it weren’t for one very astute parent, they have little doubt that it was a matter of time before he perpetrated a serious sexual offense.
Campbell moved into a local apartment rented to him by a friend, but the landlord of the property said he had no knowledge of Campbell living there and that he was not on the lease.
As a condition of his probation, Campbell is not allowed to be within a half-of-a-mile of an elementary school or daycare, yet he took a job as a bus boy at a newly opened restaurant that put him in close proximity to both.
At the time of his arrest, he was in possession of two cell phones and a computer, all of which are prohibited under the conditions of his release. There was evidence that he used the electronic devices to communicate with various teenage girls on Facebook and Twitter.
“This is not a guy that just met a girl on Facebook and became friends with her. This is a predator that manipulated victims to lure them,” Police officials said. “He’s not a rap star. He’s a guy trying to create this groupie environment to manipulate girls and draw them in.”
Victoria Cooper, a resident that has a 12-year-old daughter at the local Elementary School, who is just starting to “get into computers” said, “I didn’t realize exactly what was happening, but I’d be lying to you if I said I felt comfortable. I don’t. I don’t feel comfortable at all. I’m a little jarred by the idea of a sex offender living so close to my children. It’s very upsetting that this has happened in my community, and now I’m going to be as vigilant as I can.”
Authorities suggest concerned parents monitor their child’s online activities and subscribe to a sex offender registration service. They say you will receive email notifications about new sexual registrants in your area as well as emergency offender alerts.
As a first line of defense, they also suggest parents talk to their kids about online safety, and Google the names of their Facebook friends, along with the word “sex offender.”
“We encourage you to find out who your kids friends are, especially if they are using any social networking sites. You’ll probably find out very quickly that they are communicating with people they shouldn’t be.”
To learn more about how you can keep your child safe from sexual predators click here
