I always think of Andrew when threads like this are made. I hope his family get some answers.
I actually made thread #1 of this (on my old account) with Andrew in mind.I always think of Andrew when threads like this are made. I hope his family get some answers.
I am around Andrew's age (currently 29) and he sounds similar to how I was in 2007, very 'online'. Social media didn't really exist but I was often talking to strangers online in 2007, through forums or MSN Messenger, blogs etc, based around my interests. I never met up with any of them because I was a kid and too scared to travel to meet any of them, so I think the grooming thing is very possible and he went to London thinking he was meeting an online friend.I would be really surprised if Andrew was groomed online as he went missing in 2007, which was before we were using the internet in the way we are now. There was no evidence to suggest he was and he didn’t even have an email address. If he was groomed I think it would more likely to do with the camp he went on in the summer before he went missing. Either way, I really hope his family (and we!) get some answers soon from these men who have been arrested.
Agreed. Also chat rooms were still big in 2007, so I don’t think it would be surprising if he was groomed at all.I am around Andrew's age (currently 29) and he sounds similar to how I was in 2007, very 'online'. Social media didn't really exist but I was often talking to strangers online in 2007, through forums or MSN Messenger, blogs etc, based around my interests. I never met up with any of them because I was a kid and too scared to travel to meet any of them, so I think the grooming thing is very possible and he went to London thinking he was meeting an online friend.
Definitely. I was 14 years old in 2007 chatting to random strangers (God knows who) every night on Habbo Hotel, MySpace, etcI am around Andrew's age (currently 29) and he sounds similar to how I was in 2007, very 'online'. Social media didn't really exist but I was often talking to strangers online in 2007, through forums or MSN Messenger, blogs etc, based around my interests. I never met up with any of them because I was a kid and too scared to travel to meet any of them, so I think the grooming thing is very possible and he went to London thinking he was meeting an online friend.
the police didn’t check the CCTV for 7 days and by that point, it was wiped.I still can't understand how the last Cctv was at the train station and then he just vanished into thin air. Maybe if he has been trafficked he could still be alive but in another country.
honestly I’m so invested in finding Andrew. I felt so silly putting his poster up in our A&E department but I’d never forgive myself if someone missed him.Thanks @nurseren. Oh god if only they had checked it earlier.
Oh please don't feel silly for doing that. It was a lovely thing to do.honestly I’m so invested in finding Andrew. I felt so silly putting his poster up in our A&E department but I’d never forgive myself if someone missed him.
I can recommend a good podcast with an interview from his Dad on, i still think of it now and it’s been 3 years.
in 2007 I was meeting friends off the internet; I was really into punk and metal but my friends weren’t. My parents were so liberal with this, but they would only agree if I gave them the persons number and asked to see a photo. In 2007 I was 22, so much older than Andrew but internet message boards were rife. I camped with a bunch of people from the internet at Reading!I would be really surprised if Andrew was groomed online as he went missing in 2007, which was before we were using the internet in the way we are now. There was no evidence to suggest he was and he didn’t even have an email address. If he was groomed I think it would more likely to do with the camp he went on in the summer before he went missing. Either way, I really hope his family (and we!) get some answers soon from these men who have been arrested.
I agree. I’m 31 and it was very common. There was definitely still a stigma around meeting up with people online but grooming did happen. Like on chat roulette where random men would be jacking offI am around Andrew's age (currently 29) and he sounds similar to how I was in 2007, very 'online'. Social media didn't really exist but I was often talking to strangers online in 2007, through forums or MSN Messenger, blogs etc, based around my interests. I never met up with any of them because I was a kid and too scared to travel to meet any of them, so I think the grooming thing is very possible and he went to London thinking he was meeting an online friend.
Yup, I was 15 in 2007 and remember planning to move from Scotland to Philidelphia for my Habbo Hotel boyfriend... My mum found out about it and hit the roof.Definitely. I was 14 years old in 2007 chatting to random strangers (God knows who) every night on Habbo Hotel, MySpace, etc