Man planned to EAT body of 10-year-old neighbor girl

[SharonBell]

This is seriously creepy...

http://articles.news.aol.com/news/article.adp?id=20060415023509990001&_ccc=6&cid=842

[canadian]

Yeah, saw that today on the BBC web site. Made it hard to face eating my lunch ...

[Ed]

I sometimes wonder, when I read stories like this, whether too much time in front of a computer screen can result in neurosis for some people.  Could be that he's always been socially awkward and a bit weird, but nothing excuses what he has done.  I can't even imagine why anybody would want to do any of that to a child.  That's one very sick individual

[SharonBell]

He was their neighbor. Made me think of Hannibel Lechter's words to Clarice: "We covet that which we see every day." UGH.

[Ed]

When I was a kid my parents wouldn't see me from sun up to sun down for the whole six weeks of the summer holiday - same on weekends.  Me and the neighbours' kids would be off over the fields, miles away, or we'd cycle or walk to the nearest village to buy sweets. 

My eldest is eight, and he's never been out of eyesight of either me, his mother, his grandparents or his teachers.  Are we paranoid parents, or are we sensible?  I'm never quite sure, but I'd rather fail on the safe side of the equation, if I've got to fail at all.

[SharonBell]

Same when I grew up. Starting at age 5, I wandered all over our little rural  town (pop 5,000), tramped through cow pastures, played in muddy ponds, empty houses. Jeez, if my kid had been left alone like that, I'd have been turned in (rightfully so) for child neglect.

My son was never out of a caretaker's sight--be it a babysitter or me. When he was toddler, we found he was a BOLTER. Would start running and not stop-- no warning. I put him on a harness and a leash. I got more verbal abuse from other parents in malls, etc. UNTIL Adam Walsh was kidnapped and beheaded. Then people started asking me where I bought the leash.