Steamboat Springs, CO asked in Family Law, Child Support, Communications Law and Sexual Harassment for Oregon

Q: Can I do anything legally to a 27 yr old trying to talk to my 18 yr old daughter?

There is a 27 yr old trying to e-mail to my daughter, who just turned 18, I watch her e-mail account. I've already told him once not to talk to her, but he's attempted to get in contact with her again now that she's turned 18. She's adolescent and wants to have a friendship with him. I believe him to be a predator. What can I do?

1 Lawyer Answer
Joanne Reisman
Joanne Reisman
Answered
  • Portland, OR
  • Licensed in Oregon

A: Well she is legally an adult so you can't control who she talks to directly but if she is living in your house and you are supporting her you can lay down your house rules. However that might mean asking her to move out if she won't comply and I don't think that is the end result you want. Maybe there is some type of intermediate house rules you and she can agree to that will improve the situation but not go to the point where asking her to move out is the only solution.

Maybe a better solution would be to educate her on predator behavior. Find a way to do that. Maybe talk to people that work crisis hotlines or visit a shelter for battered women. Find someone that works as a counselor in this field and set up a meeting with your daughter. Don't expect her to immediately dump the guy. He may be feeding her what she wants to hear as an insecure adolescent so it may be very attractive to her to continue to have contact with him but educating her may help her to see the warning signs sooner and get out sooner.

You could also make a trip down to the local courthouse and see if this man has a criminal background in Oregon. Court records are public. You will need the man's first, last, and middle name and his date of birth or at least his year of birth. Knowing his current address may also help figure out if the record you are looking at is his since some of the court records will have addresses of the defendant. If there are criminal records then you can request the corresponding police reports for a small fee. It may take a few weeks but you will eventually get the reports. Then you can decide if this information should be shared with your daughter.

Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.

The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.

Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.