March 19, 2009
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Episode 5: Aftermath
This is Episode 5 in a multi-part story of how I crossed paths with a Web celebrity. Episode 1 is here. Episode 2 is here. Episode 3 is here. Episode 4 is here. I will be updating this story throughout the week with new episodes. It's a dark, depressing story, but I think it's time to share it in the hope of teaching others. You can read more of how I feel about each Episode in retrospect by perusing the comment section. Minor details may have been changed to protect the identities of the people involved.
I was cheerfully stalking both Carly Lee's and Kylie's profiles on a regular basis, waiting for Kylie's profile to be pulled down. I could taste victory, and congratulated myself for being so clever to enlist Carly Lee's assistance in getting the profile removed. Then, I read a comment posted on Carly Lee's blog...by Reverend Creep, using the Kylie profile! He was watching Carly Lee's profile too! (Language slightly prettied up for my audience).
"You pervert, trying to pretend you are really me. I'm the REAL Kylie! You're just some creep sitting in your basement wearing your Grandma's panties, getting a high off pretending to me. No one will believe you!" --Kylie.
Um...wow! Now Reverend Creep was actively threatening poor Carly Lee, and I was responsible. (I also suspect Reverend Creep was describing his own behavior in that message, which is amusing now, but certainly wasn't then!). I sent Carly Lee a message where I finally detailed who the Reverend Creep was and what his full name and real profile was. She was suspicious of me by now, and who could blame her?
I had no choice at this point because of what I had put her through. I revealed my real self and some of the details of why I wanted Kylie gone. That was the last time I ever heard from her. A day later, the Kylie profile was gone. I had already anonymously warned two or three people who seemed to be falling in love with the Kylie profile. Now the rest were also free from Reverend Creep. So the story ends there.
But I still have unanswered questions. Why did the Reverend Creep pick Carly Lee's pictures? Did he somehow know her in real life? Or did he find her pictures somewhere, develop a bizarre crush on her, and then write a story around her pictures? Oh well, it doesn't matter now.
As for the three of us involved in this story?
The Reverend Creep is still preaching up a storm at a new church about 90 minutes from my church. The irony is, his Reverend profile sounds honest, soulful, and good. I suppose we could have been friends if he, you know, wasn't a creep. I should drive out to his church and offer him a knuckle sandwich sometime, but I've learned that the rewards of vigilante justice are less than what I had hoped for.
As for me, I'd like to think this episode made me more wary of falling in love on the Internet or guarding my heart when life is tough in the real world. Sorry, Xangans, but this story probably held me back from establishing deeper friendships on here, at least for the year after it happened.
And as for Carly Lee, the not-so-well-known model? Well, she went on to other things (PG-13). But as you can guess, I have no affection for Carly Lee the model after all this...I've never watched the entire video.
Comments (31)
that is so surreal. so this begs the questions - do you think that people should meet other people from online or even develop friendships online?
also, I would really like to see you expound on your discovery of our cultures obsession with beauty and sex. if you want or....I could start a debate spinoff based on your experience via my blog?
@spokenfor - Feel free to start a discussion if you wish. I am a little Xanga'd out after all these posts this week. Here's my best-ever link on the topic: http://weblog.xanga.com/GreekPhysique/299977303/item.html
My final thoughts? I realized that I need a steady supply of good friends of both genders, or I'll fall for weird stuff like this again. It's easy for me to stand back now and say "Why did I fall in love with a web profile that I never even talked to?!" But if one's life is empty, they will fall for anything. And as a Christian, I also need to take full advantage of my faith, which helps me fill the holes of loneliness, anger, hunger, and weariness that exist in everyone's soul.
Also--I discovered I need to watch my tendencies towards wanting to execute justice on people. There are times for that. But how would I feel if this story ended with Reverend Creep traveling to Carly Lee's apartment and emptying a pistol's contents into her body? Overall, I regret dragging Carly Lee into this. That's why I don't tell this story in real life, and made it as un-Googlable as possible. And that's why last year, when I ran into an Internet person who I thought deserved judgment, I passed on the opportunity (no, I'm not telling that story, I'm done with story-telling for another few months!). Instead I politely begged them to change their ways for their own sake, once, and left the scene. So I did learn something in the end.
Oh gosh, the I've got a crush on Obama girl? I can't stand her skank ass. I'm still convinced she hurt more than helped him by making him look like some kind of brainless-pinup instead of a politician... not to mention the sexualization of a pol made me utterly disgusted. If you're going to make a vid, at least don't be so skanky about it... as far as humorous pro candidate funny youtube vids go I much prefer the It's Raining McCain girls who are at least cute about it (although I really, really wish they could sing).
Things like this are pretty much why I'm very guarded on my site... and frankly I am still surprised, after all this, you would wonder why a girl wouldn't want to put her image on a public site, where it can easily be ripped off by a stranger and used for his own weird purposes. This is exactly the kind of nonsense I want to avoid, not being an attention starved model myself. I have made a few friends on Xanga many of whom seem legitimate and for whom I have a measure of affection, but my guard is constantly up because I know there are a lot, a LOT of impostors on the internet and the target is usually some pretty girl. Those Dateline stings are successful for a reason.
That story was pretty depressing, yes. That reverend has no business being a reverend, preaching to others... he's obviously extremely childish and idiotic. That would have disgusted me incredibly.
Because there are so many impostors and liars, I don't tend to date anyone I meet on the Internet and I am not keen on starting. I'm only on for networking and making friends. I always get nervous when I open up on here, because I wonder if I'm being a sucker and revealing myself to some impostor or to someone who will misuse the information. But what can you do; that's the risk one takes online.
@squeakysoul - isn't the same true in face to face interaction as well? Dennis Rader had a wife and kids...as he killed 14 people as B.T.K. People are people and are distinctly themselves behind closed doors...whether that door is an ip address or just the light behind their eyes.
@GreekPhysique - Thanks for the story. Because its true, I understand that the cathartic taking care of loose ends can't happen. I don't get to see Reverend Creeps get his comeuppins, justice really isn't served because neither party learned their lessons. c'est la vie.
@Evowookiee -
True, and my guard is up in real life too. Doesn't mean I should drop it online... that would just be inviting danger. Online and in real life, I rely on my cautiousness, judgment and my common sense.
Interesting and weird story. Honestly though that GP. I would urge you to consider bringing this to someone in a position of leadership or accountability over that Reverend. Discuss it with someone you trust as well. It could be a recipie for a lot of hurt and stress but what he did was wrong plain and simple. He needs to repent of it and be restored in a loving manner if he hasn't already done so.
woah :blows out breath:
That's kind of weird that he lives and preaches that close to you. Hope you recover from your trauma...
Holy Wow Batman!
I can't believe she's the Obama girl!!!
And I didn't almost fall in love with a fake Obama girl profile and still can't sit through that video!
And I feel like someone should call RC on what he did/has done.
Ehh, Norwegian spy, Obama girl....can't win 'em all
That is so funny. Yes the Obama girl is a celeb of sorts. Itis almost a shame you had that site shut down. As it would have all come down on its own after the Obama girl video
I enjoyed this series.
Ahhh. Finally, some closure. That girl is smokin' hot, but she's probably the dumbest person I've ever seen, based on that video. John Kerry? Please!
Probably the best thing to do here was to make an anonymous report to his church/elders and let them investigate it. The problem wasn't so much the website/profile... the problem was that he was a creep and leading people astray. One can only wonder what kind of things he did in his position of power in the church. I have heard enough stories of pastors abusing their authority. This guy needs to be held accountable for his actions and investigated for further for potential harmful activity.
Anyways, you can rest assured that I'm really a guy, and not a girl pretending to be a guy trying to seduce you with my (currently) irregularly updated xanga site. =P
Hope you're doing well friend.
how weird! RC needs to be exposed. all you know is what you saw, but... obviously that can't be the whole story. eww.
i did. it was SO nice out! how's the weather where you live? i'm in ohio but moving to florida soon
oh wow! This is crazy. I wonder just how often this kind of stuff happens...not just with creepy people in general, but specifically creepy CHRISTIANS who do this as a "second life" ordeal - one where they go online pretending to be someone they're not.
Yikes. What a creep that guy must be. Doesn't he know that he will answer for these actions someday?
I totally understand the desire to execute justice though.
@spokenfor - YES! I do believe people should still meet other people from on-line. I've gone on blind dates from on-line, visited friends, etc, and most of my experiences were very positive. In fact, the episode above might be the only truly bad event. Sure, some people turned out to be a little more immature than I thought when I met them in person, but overall it was nothing out of the ordinary.
@squeakysoul - But most imposters aren't very good at impostering, ha. I ran into the rare imposter with some skill, is all. I understand that females do perhaps need to be more careful. But I wouldn't want you to miss out on good friendships with people who are real.
@Evowookiee - Ha, yes, in fictional life, this story would end with Reverend Creep luring me to Niagara Falls, where we would fight over the bridge until he magically "slipped" to his death. (Thanks Arthur Conan Doyle!) But no, real life is messier.
@Red Wine Gums - The problem is, when this story was happening, Reverend Creep was in the process of being fired/let go from his current church for other reasons. So I saw no reason to tell his church, since justice was being done anyway. And now, 2 years later, when he's found a new church, the evidence is gone. It would just be one person (me) bringing an accusation against an elder that I couldn't even prove anymore (I sadly did not save Kylie's fake profile before it was taken down). I think my hands are unfortunately tied on this one.
@lawmixitup - See my RWG response.
@another_rebel_without_a_cause - Sigh, I know! When I write the fictional account, I'm definitely going to give myself a beautiful Norweigan spy girlfriend. Thanks for the tip
@trunthepaige - Thanks Paige! You bring up a great point--what would he have done after the Obama Girl video? haha now I wish I had left things go, just to hear his explanation...
@Bokgwai - Oh, so you didn't quit because I was closer to exposing your true self? :-p See RWG answer.
@nessajoy_21 - Yeah, I wish I could do more...see my response to red wine gums.
Obama Girl? Wow!
I think you hold people of the Christian faith on too high of a pedestal. They are human after all. Was it the fact that he was a reverend that made you so upset about this? There are a lot of posers on the internet. It's just an unfortunate result of the anonymity which the web provides. It was good that you alerted her of the imposter, but a little scary that you devoted a 5-part post to her story.
Entertaining read though
hmmm... as someone who is turning "concerned citizen" calls to 911 into a new hobby, i sympathize with your plight. in cases where you witness something in a complete stranger's life which you can clearly see from your view might well lead to ruin for others (or you suspect that such could be possible), sometimes it's hard to know what to do. however, since you know how to contact the church, i'd say... perhaps you might consider doing so. even just to talk to the senior pastor as an honest person who stumbled into awareness of a very negative situation and is sincerely concerned. even though you don't have the "evidence," perhaps your input would get the ball rolling for them to look deeper into this man's character, or might further gel other suspicions that they've been bothered by but previously chose to dismiss. i wouldn't be surprised at all if a person who would be involved in such weirdness became a perpetrator of of overtly abusive actions. if someone blows the whistle, it's possible that nothing will change... or that uncountable people could be spared from life-long pain. i really don't think you need all the goods to make the case, because it sounds like you did a pretty good investigative job. if you have a record of integrity in your own life and nothing that could look like you stand to gain anything from making this information known, it sounds to me like they should take you seriously. if you're serious about the truth being something that sets people free... it'll be scary, but i challenge you to make the truth known!
and, ironically, this is, itself, unsolicited advice from a complete stranger
but it seems even clearer to me than the time i was sitting in the park near some people who were drinking, then got into a truck and drove away. i thought, "hey, if they kill someone later tonight, wouldn't that person's family say, 'if you saw that scene unfolding, why didn't you do something???!!!'"
Just to say, I've been the person perusing your Xanga and reading all your entries because they intrigued me just that much. I loved your episodes, shame I can't have them all together.
To avoid more Mozilla tabs opening while I'm waiting for my computer to be done defragmenting, I think you should stay on Xanga. Just because there are some people that do enjoy a fine read and playful banter of internet blogger-ship. ^_^
hm. i need to read from the beginning.
geez.
This is sad.. in a way..
I'm always disappointed to know there are people out there acting the way they do - abusing other's emotions, time, or affection..
And it's hard to decifer when something is worth stepping into..
So, I guess it's good in a way, as well. How else would you/could you learn the lessons you did?
I have had to learn both those lessons (the intervention and the online
relationships deal) through some pretty difficult circumstances as well..
I don't really regret them too much ... as tough as it was at the time...
Thanks for the story...
If that's the definition of a "hot" girl, then I suddenly see why so many guys have started hitting on me. (Mostly after being married, but definitely since Jason and I started dating.) So...pretty much. Men are shallow. Seriously? Then again, what did I expect? Guys hit on me when I was 8 months pregnant. (I guess being pregnant = being easy?)
Once again I like the conclusion you reach in your comment following the post. The whole thing is rather strange and I agree, something like this does make one very wary of anyone else you "meet" on-line.
What a twist, I just don't know what to say.
This is horrid. And that is one lovely young lady. too bad she got used.
By the DNC and RC. 
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this serial story, finally! That is kind of crazy and cool. Good work, Special Agent John. : ) I know what you mean about being careful not to hasten to mete out justice, though. That can be challenging, when you suspect someone is hurting others, leading them astray or ruining their reputations.
On another note, I've found the BEST way to guard against being led astray by someone's online profile is to talk to them on the phone. It can't clear everything up, but it would at least put the gender issue into perspective. :p (Incidentally, I'm glad you're really a guy, and a great one at that).
I actually find the fact that this ended up being Obama Girl far more surprising than the fact that someone engaged in this sort of impersonation. Of course, I'm an irreligious atheist and don't place a hell of a lot of stock in the idea of implicit moral superiority being inherent in clergypeople of any sort.
There are so many pretty idiots on the internet; how did he pick this one? And can he perhaps help me decide what sorts of companies I should be investing in? He's a prescient one, this minister guy.
Sorry you didn't get to hear the rest of the story and I know exactly what you mean about having trouble trusting people on the net.
I have always just assumed that the internet was full of weirdos. Probably more so than out on the streets. It gives ppl who would normally come off as being relatively normal and nice, a chance to put a mask on and step out from the shadows. I'm naturally weary of everyone, whether I talk to them online or on the street. I have no idea where it stemmed from either. Probably an accumulation of many different lies, betrayals, etc.
Well told story by the way.
And thanks a billion for visiting my site!
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