Notes

Breck Bednar's Mum Enjoins Gamers to 'play Virtual, Live Real'

Breck Bednar's mom advises gamers to play virtual, live real'



12 January 2015



The mother of the Surrey boy aged 14 who was murdered by an online gamer claims that her son's story will help other players be safer online.



Lewis Daynes killed Breck Bednar after the 19-year-old was lured to Grays, Essex by the 19-year-old.



Lorin LaFave stated: "I want Breck's story to prove that there is really evil in the world. Not everyone.



"But it only takes one person to cause the damage."



Lewis Daynes pleaded guilty to murder and was sentenced to life imprisonment



Lorin Lorin, one of the Caterham resident, says that Breck and his companions used to spend their evenings on Daynes server playing war games.



"When I would walk past his room or enter his bedroom I could hear how fascinating it was. I could also understand why they were interacting this way."



She started to get worried about the fact that Daynes was gaining influence on her son and that his personality was starting to change.



"Breck was telling my that Daynes didn’t believe he should have the computer on his desk. Daynes did not think it was appropriate to do chores. Daynes did not believe that he had to be involved in family activities."
Mccainsource.com


Lorin took her son's computer and reported her concerns the police.



'Manipulative behaviour'



"I informed them about Daynes's manipulative behaviour and the fact that I thought that he was grooming Breck and the other boys. I simply said, 'I know there's something wrong because Breck's behavior is changing and he's changing his beliefs.'"



She didn't know that the older teenager had given Breck an SMS message so they could remain in contact.



She claims that he would inform Breck about lucrative opportunities in business, promising in one email that they would collaborate and earn millions of pounds.



Lorin believes that the boys were impressed by the fake online persona Daynes created for himself.



Breck believed in it for a reason. He wanted to be with someone with such influence as well as such wealth and experience. I think he was like a mentor unfortunately. They were looking up to him."



Daynes told Breck that they had to meet face-to-face for a discussion of business. She booked a taxi to take Breck to his home. Breck was found dead in the home.



To promote responsible use of technology, the family established The Breck Bednar Memorial Foundation.



Their slogan is Play Virtual Live Real.



"The internet is a great tool but you can't play games with your friends on the internet. Live real. Only get together with people that you have met in person. Breck didn't live the real life. His reality was death due to the fact that he believed in some evil person's falsehoods."



She is aware that this is a message that young people should hear - Breck had an online safety course one month prior to his murder But she is determined to make sure they don't ignore it.



"If Breck was here, he would say, "Guys, I didn't believe in that however, there are some dangerous persons out there." It cost him his life.



"Imagine the message that comes from Breck"



She wants young people to imagine that the safety message is coming from Breck himself.



"What did the man say to Daynes when he was attacked by Daynes?" Did he think'Wow, mum was right and she was right?' Did you think, "Wow, mum was right!" What was his thought process? Because at that point , it was too late."



Ms LaFave would like the government to make more investments in this area to ensure that every parent can feel confident that there will be full investigation if they report any online concerns.



Daynes was due to be tried - accused of murder - but admitted the offence at the last minute. He will serve at least 25 years in prison.



The manner in which Surrey and Essex Police handled the case has been referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission.



They will attempt to determine if a force could have acted differently.



Learn some tips to stay secure online



Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter, BBCNewsbeat on Instagram and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube



Internet Watch Foundation


Website: https://mccainsource.com/