London teacher contacts 14-year-old student through World of Warcraft
by Mike Schramm 
Dec 2nd 2008 at 2:15PM
This story is really only tangentially related to our game, but we'll mention it anyway: a London teacher has been accused of sending sexually-related text messages to a 14-year-old student that she contacted while they were playing World of Warcraft together. Apparently the woman met up with the student in Azeroth, and then was able to somehow get his phone number from him. Later, the boy's father discovered explicit text messages from her on his son's phone, and she now faces jailtime as a result.Of course, this says nothing at all about World of Warcraft -- there are man, many ways of communication on the Internet, and the game happens to be just one of them (and shame on the Escapist for even suggesting this is an argument against games in education -- the fault here lies with the teacher, not the game). You should be cautious about who your children are corresponding with no matter where they are or what they're doing, and in fact, this boy's father was.
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Virtual selves, Odds and ends
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
hENNIFER pANTALON Dec 2nd 2008 2:19PM
SS or it didn't happen.
She's probably fat anyways.
Matdredalia Dec 4th 2008 3:28PM
Oh yeah because being fat makes you a child molestor.
And of course, only a fat person would send sexually explicit messages to a teenager.
Grow the hell up.
Is everyone's answer to someone being screwed in the head, "he/she's probably fat"?
Hawk Dec 2nd 2008 2:22PM
Why did I not have any female teachers like this? So unfair, kids nowadays don't realize how good they got it.
sharkeater75 Dec 2nd 2008 2:20PM
where were these female teachers when I was 14
Lars Dec 2nd 2008 6:15PM
That's what I was thinking. That's awesome... I would have loved to be in that kids shoes.
Joshua Smellie Dec 2nd 2008 7:23PM
Yeah, exactly. I bet the father's just jealous LOL.
mattarin Dec 2nd 2008 2:21PM
That kid is lucky. Most of the female characters i meet are probably guys in real life.
arun84h Dec 2nd 2008 2:21PM
"there are man, many ways of communication on the Internet..."
What happened to the editing staff of WoW Insider? I have been seeing more and more typos and grammar/spelling errors ever since WotLK was released.
Is the entire editorial staff busy leveling their alts to 80?
Max Dec 2nd 2008 2:31PM
yes.
Beep Dec 2nd 2008 2:25PM
There's an actual editorial staff?
G Dec 2nd 2008 3:49PM
The Staff of Editoria is a caster item, mostly for glass cannons.
Balius Dec 2nd 2008 2:22PM
This is no more an argument against games in education than it is an argument against teachers in education. The problem was one deviant, not a system of them.
Terd Fergeson Dec 2nd 2008 2:28PM
Niiiiiice.
Vnitiy Dec 6th 2008 11:03PM
southpark ftw lol
MechChef Dec 2nd 2008 3:10PM
Nice.
BooDizz Dec 2nd 2008 7:35PM
win for SP reference.
Niiiiiiice.
Netherscourge Dec 2nd 2008 2:34PM
If WoW has no direct responsibility to the case, then why even mention it and stir up a circumstantial connection in the first place?
Thalium Dec 2nd 2008 2:39PM
/inserts more conversation about how underage guys are 'lucky' when a female teacher comes onto them and underage girls are 'preyed upon' when a male teacher comes onto them.
Chris Hansen Dec 2nd 2008 2:39PM
Please have a seat.
nbcaffeine Dec 2nd 2008 2:50PM
Where? Right over there?