Talk about craziness-never in a million years would I have imagined this would happen...it's like straight out of a movie!!
Christian calls me on my home from work to tell me that a detective from California called our house looking for me. He went on to ask Christian if his wife had a blog...had ever posted on Craigslist...had a child, etc. Christian is like..."um, yeah-what is this all about?"
Apparently someone stole a photo off my blog and used it in an ad on Craigslist. The ad was apparently very graphic and horrible in nature. The photo was used in a threatening way and they were concerned for the well being of the child. It wasn't Aubrey in the photo but a close relative and we explained who she was and where she was.
Next thing you know there is a sheriff at our door. He had been contacted by the police in California and had to come see if this child was okay and had not been harmed. I immediately contacted my family and let them know what had happened because it has to do with their child...I'm just in tears over this mess.
The sheriff interviews both Christian and I, checks on Aubrey, and then leaves to go check on the child in the picture that was threatened. They pay a visit to my relative and verify that she was safe and unharmed.
I'm just devastated over all this. I cannot believe the sick people there are out there...violating a sweet innocent child and making harmful threats against a defenseless little girl. How disgusting is the world we live in?
The sheriff says this happens more than you think and he said it can happen to anyone who posts a photo on the internet.
I'm thinking I may need to make my blog private...I just can't take any risks.
Fellow bloggers...what is your opinion or how do you protect your photos? What things can be done to prevent this from happening? Any advice or insights would be greatly appreciated.
2 weeks ago
I haven't had anything crazy happen, but that is exactly why I made my blog private. It was a pain (especially for you ha!) but I'm glad I did it. There's too many creepy people out there! The only thought I have about protecting your photos is to have something on your pic that shows it's yours. You know how photographers do and have "proof" written all over it. Or some just put their logo somewhere on the pic. It would have to be in a location that can't just be cropped out though. Otherwise it would be pointless.
ReplyDeleteSo sorry that happened to you!
That is so scary! I cannot believe that happened to you!
ReplyDeleteThe only thing I do is watermark my photos. I try to do it anytime I post a pic of my kids. I don't know if that really helps, but it makes me feel a little better.
So sorry that happened to you.
Amy
Oh my goodness, that is so scary and makes me question my pictures too! Please keep us in the loop on if anything happens. Did the person take the picture you posted and edit it? I have no idea how all this stuff works. It makes me literally sick to my stomach to think someone is enjoying pictures of my children in a way that would upset me. Hope you can find some resolution on this.
ReplyDeleteGEEEZ! That is so scary! That's one reason I try to make sure I never post anything about where I live. And I changed our blog to take out our last name. Did they catch the people who posted the ad on Craigslist?
ReplyDeleteSee, i just have mine public. And our names on it & everything. I mean... how come there are hundreds of bloggers & you rarely hear of problems? But reading this makes ME want to go private! UGH! I hate seeing watermarks right across people's faces, but i get it! I can't believe that happened to you, Ash. I'm so sorry. :(
ReplyDeleteI've never had any trouble so far but i don't want to start! :(
oh, ashlee.
ReplyDeletethis just makes me sick.
so sick.
i cannot even believe it.
i knew things like this happened, but maybe i was just naive in thinking that they happen to "other" people...not me.
it's just so.....unsettling. i've been talking with jeffrey about it all night and it's definitely given me a lot to think about. yes, i love blogging and i love having the record of what we do each day, but is it worth it to possible jeopardize my family's safety?! absolutely not.
keep us posted and thanks for sharing. i hope you don't mind, but i linked to your post on twitter so others could be aware of what's going on. it's definitely an eye opener for everyone!
OMG!!! That is horrible! One thing you can do is put a watermark on your photos & you can block people from being able to "right click" on your photos in order to copy them to their computers.
ReplyDeleteAshlee, that is scary. I have so many pictures of Olivia on my blog. I would hate if anyone used her picture in any sort of way. I have been considering changing my blog to private and might just do it now.
ReplyDelete