Chad,
I still think you're handling this extremely well, and each of your posts strengthens that belief.
I also completely concur with DR, in that a
cautious path should be followed, and you're obviously doing that. The fact you are making it a cautiously optimistic path speaks volumes on you, and who knows, maybe you will make a difference in this young man's life.
Your approach answers the mail on two sides:
First, you are protecting yourself (and perhaps others along the way). This is the most critical aspect, because at this point, no one really knows what they
don't know about all of this. You know more than any of us, but until this plays out, bottom line truth is perhaps still an unknown, so caution and prudence are still in very high order (and you are employing both!) The advice of those calling for caution and reporting this are speaking from experience. Please don't confuse experience with cynicism...many of us have been, or know someone that has been, burned...so yes, the shields are up when needed, and are slow to come down at times (and we're still good folks...no name calling, just protective of what we have here at VAF and elsewhere).
Second, you're handling it in a way that if it turns out less sinister, perhaps this won't negatively impact the guys future (that will be up to him to do or not...time will tell). However, your caution and prudence protects you and gives you legal back-up should peeling the onion further reveal more bad stuff. Hope is that it will not.
Oh, and I realized today that I was probably confusing online gaming (wargames, etc.) with online gaming (vegas style).
So strike my Guido and Vinny warning from yesterday...they probably aren't paying attention to IGN.
Someone wise once told me "there is no such thing as a learning experience...you either learn from experience...or you do not".
I've learned from this, and some of the younger guys' comments will help me watch and guide my young kids. Thanks. I'll bet we've all learned a heap...maybe even the guy that is the subject of all this!
Best of luck Chad!
Cheers,
Bob