Andrew Kane, a 16 year old kid from Ontario, met Laurie Price, a 42 year old mother of four from Texas to whom he refers to as his “Soulmate”, while playing WOW online. The two got so involved with each other that they took the next step in their online relationship and decided to meet each other in a nearby midland restaurant close to Andrews house. Everything was perfectly setup as Laurie flew in from Texas and Andrew asked his parents to drive him to the restaurant where the two were suppose to meet, well, as it turns out asking your parents to drive you to a date with a 42 year old women is not such a good idea and like any other parent Mr. and Mrs. Kane were concerned and categorically refused him to meet his soulmate. But Andrew wasn’t giving up so easily, at 2 a.m., Marlene Kane heard her front door open, and found her son gone, leaving behind a troubling trail of web chats that led to Houston, Tex., and the World of Warcraft.
Shocked by their son’s behavior Mr and Ms. Kane were quick to report local authorities who found the boy after two days missing at a Future Shop in Orillia. With the Canadian law for age of consent being 16, Laura returned home disappointed.
For more than a year, Ms. Kane said her son has played the game “every waking hour,” and has barely attended school because of the addiction.
His parents took his computer away for four weeks last year and put him in a counselling program, but after a month, Andrew’s psychologist suggested that his computer privileges be reinstated as a reward for the progress he had made.
“We thought he was managing it well, but eventually he was back to his old habits,” said Ms. Kane. “It turned out to be not so great advice.”
But Andrew’s safe return Thursday was still a happy ending.
