| Zimmerman man charged with a double A felony |
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By Elizabeth Nelson A 65-year-old Zimmerman man is accused of having sex with a 14-year-old girl. Robert Francis Blasey allegedly met the girl over the Internet and met her in person this fall. The girl is from North Dakota, and the arrest took place in Bismark. Blasey was arrested on Wednesday, Dec. 3 on a felony luring charge, and has since been charged in Cass County with gross sexual imposition, which is a double A felony in the state of North Dakota. He is also being charged with luring minors by computer. Blasey made his initial appearance in court and a preliminary hearing and/or arraignment is scheduled for Jan. 7. Derek Cruff, a detective with the West Fargo Police Department said if Blasey is found guilty, under North Dakota law he can be sentenced to life in prison. Blasey was a traveling salesman who allegedly met the girl online. Even though the alleged sex was consensual, because of the girl’s age it is considered a felony. Police became suspicious of Blasey after the girl’s mother called police after looking at where her daughter went online. Online at-risk tips According to “A Parent’s Guide to Internet Safety,” which is published by the FBI, the same advances in computers and telecommunications that allow children to reach out to new sources of knowledge and cultural experiences, are also leaving them vulnerable to exploitation and harm by computer sex offenders. Here are some tips that a child may be at-risk online: Spending a lot of time online, especially at night. Aside from just being online, another sign would be if a child is spending a lot of time particularly in chat rooms. The evening hours are also when children are at the highest risk as these are the times most offenders chose trying to locate and lure children. Another sign is if pornography is found on a child’s computer. A lot of times sex offenders will use this as a means of opening sexual discussions and for seduction. Parents should also know that many times children will try and hide these images on diskettes, especially if the computer is used by other family members. Parents should be wary if their child is also receiving phone calls from unknown adults, sometimes from long distance numbers. Receiving gifts and packages from someone unknown is also a way that offenders try and seduce their victims. Other signs include a child quickly turning off the computer or monitor when a parent comes in the room, becoming withdrawn from the family and if a child is using an online account belonging to someone else. For more signs and what to do visit www.fbi.gov/publications/pguide/pguidee.htm. Comments (0)
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