Ava
One day, 9-year-old “Ava” started chatting with a nice boy online. She thought he was only a few years older than her and they became fast friends. The boy eventually asked for explicit pictures of Ava. After she sent the first picture, the boy on the other end of the chat revealed who he truly was: a 70-year-old man in Florida. He threatened her, “If you don’t send me more pictures, I will post these publicly and send them to everyone you know.”
At only 9 years old, Ava felt like she had no other choice. She complied, but unsurprisingly, he uploaded the pictures of Ava online anyway. This predator, miles and miles away from this little girl, was still able to exploit her repeatedly. Law enforcement discovered what was going on, and quickly worked to identify and rescue her. Ava was placed in an aftercare home that O.U.R. supports.
Ava’s healing is not a linear process. This man in Florida has made Ava’s life incredibly difficult. We are in awe of Ava’s strength and determination. There are thousands of predators online looking for vulnerable children like Ava to exploit. Visit our website to learn how to stay safe online.
