Online Industry Connects Singles With Convicts
Online Industry Connects Singles With Convicts POSTED: 6:03 pm EST November 8, 2005 EDGEWATER, Fla. -- People are meeting and falling in love with prisoners on Internet websites, but officials constantly worry that people visiting them will be cheated out of their hard-earned money. Sherry Kahn found love on the Internet, but it wasn't from the usual dating sites. She found her match in the southern Ohio maximum-security prison through a prison personals website based in Edgewater. "It's like, my heart jumps when I see that 740 area code," said Kahn. Now, the 62-year-old Sanford woman is engaged to be married to 39-year-old inmate Anthony Birdsell. He's serving time for burglary, robbery, and felony assault. Those are minor details to Kahn. "I think you just have to take a risk and I took a risk and Look what happened." Those risks worry officials at the Florida Department of Corrections. They don't keep statistics, but say complaints about scams are rising fast. Florida DOC spokesperson Robbie Cunningham says anything can happen. "They may put a picture of Tom Cruise or someone and say this is inmate 'Smith' and you go to our website and inmate 'Smith' is a completely different person," Cunningham said. In another example, a Florida inmate was writing romantic letters to two women he met though a website and receiving money from both. The only catch was that we was married. His scam ended only after he mixed up the envelopes and sent the wrong letters to the wrong women. DOC officials say their website is full of stories like that one. Still, Kahn doesn't believe her newfound love is capable of that. "I don't have anything to give him except my love and compassion and support." But, she said, she has given him money. By law, Florida prisoners can't solicit letters or access the Internet. However, sites like Edgewater's writeaprisoner.com get around the law by asking prisoners to send them photos and information. Then webmasters, like Adam Lovell, post it for them for a fee. The DOC says the practice is so widespread, it's nearly impossible to police the prisoners. Lovell admitted to 9 Investigates that he's seen inmates prey on unsuspecting people. Still, he said, "This is largely about business for me, but I believe in what I do." And, with 5,000 customers paying $40 a year, he said, he's helping to protect inmate's first amendment rights. "To abolish this, you're going to have to change the constitution," he said. Meanwhile, Kahn believes her fiancé could get out in a year or two, but the Ohio Department of Corrections told 9 Investigates that he won't be out until 2011. Kahn remains unfazed. "There are a lot of scams out there, a lot. But I believe in Tony." http://www.wftv.com/news/5281516/detail.html Are these women desparate or something???????? I'm pretty sure there are plenty of men who aren't incarcerated for criminal acts. JMO