Missing teenager should give all of us pause, consternation

Pearl Lyle left her home in the dark, wee hours more than a week ago. She has not been heard from since.

Her parents think she might have been in contact with someone on the Internet. It’s possible whoever picked her up that morning may have found her on a MySpace account.

This is a family nightmare.

It’s also a time for parents to check what their children have on their computers. The right to privacy doesn’t trump the safety of children. Youngsters these days are far more worldly than is good for them and a lot of that seeming maturity comes from television, music, peers and certainly the Internet.

Part of the problem is that many children know more about computers than their parents do. So trying to see what’s on the computer is hard for moms and dads. Teenagers are good at hiding accounts and unblocking parental blocks.

The Internet is a fine thing. It allows us to communicate with people all over the world. If Pearl was contacted by a stranger and they began chatting online, well it’s not hard to figure out how she and someone else might set up a grand scheme to leave home and hearth.

If that’s the case, and with the advances in computer technology, there are probably clues hidden in her machine that could lead to a name or place to start looking.

Another complication is that Pearl is a special needs child. That makes her especially vulnerable.

One question: Why there was no Amber Alert sent out.

Another oddity is that few other media outlets have picked up the story. Stories like Pearl’s need as much attention as possible. Her face should be in every area newspaper and on all the television screens and radio broadcasts.

The more days that pass makes the trail even colder. Today marks the eighth day since she was taken in that cold, dark morning.

In the meantime, the Lyle family can only wait and worry until their daughter is home safe and sound.

And whoever took her is brought to justice and sent away for a long time.

Until then, everyone from Fairbanks to Homer to Tok and Valdez need to keep our eyes and ears open. Pearl is out there somewhere and she needs to be found.