Police: Teen abduction foiled by cell phone cam (Sprint)

http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/ptech/08/01/camphone.abduction/index.html

Police: Teen abduction foiled by cell phone cam
Saturday, August 2, 2003 Posted: 2:23 AM EDT (0623 GMT)



The boy gave cell phone pictures of the man and his car to New Jersey police. Police say a New Jersey teen used his cell phone's camera to take pictures that led to a would-be kidnapper. It's surprising the kid had the presence of mind to use the technology under duress. -- Detective Capt. Robert Rowan
CNN's Maria Hinojosa reports. (August 1)




(CNN) -- A quick-thinking 15-year-old boy used his Sprint cell phone camera to take pictures of a man who allegedly tried to lure him into his car, leading to the man's arrest, police said.

The boy, who escaped from his alleged captor after a struggle, gave pictures of the man and his car license plate to police in Clifton, New Jersey, after the incident Tuesday. Armed with that evidence, police arrested William MacDonald, 59, of Passaic, on Wednesday.

Det. Capt. Robert Rowan of the Clifton Police Department said as the boy was walking home Tuesday evening, MacDonald approached him in a white car and asked him to get in. The boy refused, Rowan said."Then the motorist made sexually explicit remarks," Rowan said. "The juvenile refused to get in and kept on walking. Then the juvenile took a picture of the man and the car's license plate." <snip>

After taking the pictures, MacDonald got out of the car and grabbed the boy's arm, police said. A struggle ensued, but the boy was able to escape and board a New Jersey Transit bus, which he rode through Clifton to nearby Paterson. His brother picked him up there, then took him to Clifton police headquarters. <snip>

I'd read how people were afraid the new ones would make pedophilia much much easier...

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