I am being 'groomed' by a 7-year old boy. I daren't tell the police - it's just too messed up for comprehension. I answered the phone about 8pm last night to near-silence. Eventually 'Is your wife in the room?' This was a boy's voice, unsure of himself. I was polite and explained that I believed I was being teased, and that I was going to hang up.
The phone rang again. I let it go to answerphone. The phone rang again, and I answered it. This little boy was now asking me whether I wanted to buy a kitchen. I explained that this was rented accommodation, and that my landlord deals with things like that. I laughed and tried to hang up.
'What's your name and how old are you?' he asked. I gave him these details out of confused, paralised politeness, and asked whether he was filling out a survey. Was he going to sell my details? Possibly this went over his head. Now I asked why he was phoning random numbers in the middle of the night. Were his parents around (the dodgiest question I asked). No - they've both gone out. I told him that it was not a clever move - phoning random numbers and engaging potential weirdoes in conversation. How do you say this to a 7 year old kid? I stuttered my way through an inspecific warning, and said I was now going to go.
The phone rings again, and goes through to answerphone. And again about 5 times. And then once more after a 5 minute gap.
I dialled 1471 to see where the boy was from. I do believe you would do the same, and anyway I don't have to justify myself to you. I'm the one being groomed here. Number withheld. Now that just blows my mind. I swear it was a 7 year old boy, asking me personal details, and withholding his number. But no-one else had heard the voice.
I picked my phone up again today, and my answerphone had two messages from this kid on from last night. The first is him doing his kitchen salesman shtick, and he leaves a Newcastle phone number. In the second, I think, he is pretending to be his sister:
"I like you. My brother has told me about you, and he said you are nice and you have a nice voice. I am actually 27. Would you give me a call?" And once again he leaves a phone number, this time without the code. He actually corrected himself half-way through the number, so I assume it's not made up.
I had Ian listen through these messages. He says it could be an actor. Frankly I find this idea even more disturbing.
So this is the question - should I phone the police? Should I try to contact this child's parents? Either way, I can see that the conversation is not going to go my way.
"Why have you told this child your name and age?"
"How did he get your number?"
"Why did you answer the phone the second time?"
I think this little guy is trying to entrap me.
The phone rang again. I let it go to answerphone. The phone rang again, and I answered it. This little boy was now asking me whether I wanted to buy a kitchen. I explained that this was rented accommodation, and that my landlord deals with things like that. I laughed and tried to hang up.
'What's your name and how old are you?' he asked. I gave him these details out of confused, paralised politeness, and asked whether he was filling out a survey. Was he going to sell my details? Possibly this went over his head. Now I asked why he was phoning random numbers in the middle of the night. Were his parents around (the dodgiest question I asked). No - they've both gone out. I told him that it was not a clever move - phoning random numbers and engaging potential weirdoes in conversation. How do you say this to a 7 year old kid? I stuttered my way through an inspecific warning, and said I was now going to go.
The phone rings again, and goes through to answerphone. And again about 5 times. And then once more after a 5 minute gap.
I dialled 1471 to see where the boy was from. I do believe you would do the same, and anyway I don't have to justify myself to you. I'm the one being groomed here. Number withheld. Now that just blows my mind. I swear it was a 7 year old boy, asking me personal details, and withholding his number. But no-one else had heard the voice.
I picked my phone up again today, and my answerphone had two messages from this kid on from last night. The first is him doing his kitchen salesman shtick, and he leaves a Newcastle phone number. In the second, I think, he is pretending to be his sister:
"I like you. My brother has told me about you, and he said you are nice and you have a nice voice. I am actually 27. Would you give me a call?" And once again he leaves a phone number, this time without the code. He actually corrected himself half-way through the number, so I assume it's not made up.
I had Ian listen through these messages. He says it could be an actor. Frankly I find this idea even more disturbing.
So this is the question - should I phone the police? Should I try to contact this child's parents? Either way, I can see that the conversation is not going to go my way.
"Why have you told this child your name and age?"
"How did he get your number?"
"Why did you answer the phone the second time?"
I think this little guy is trying to entrap me.
