Girl calls sex assault phone line, gets sex chat

updated 10:15 p.m. ET July 25, 2007

LAKE CITY, Fla. - The state attorney general’s office removed the toll-free number for a sexual assault counseling center from its Web site after an 8-year-old girl was connected instead to a sex chat line.

The North Central Florida Sexual Assault Center shut down months ago, and the company that runs the chat line bought the number.

The girl’s mother, Karen Carter, said her daughter called because she witnessed inappropriate behavior two years ago, but at the time, was not ready to talk about it. Carter said it was nothing serious enough to involve authorities.

On Sunday, the girl approached her mother and said she wanted to talk. Carter decided to call the toll-free number she found in the phonebook hoping the operators would offer advice to her daughter. She said she handed her daughter the phone and walked away to give her privacy.

“I come back a few seconds later and she has this look on her face of surprise and then horror and then her eyes start tearing up,” Carter said. “I never thought in my wild’s dreams that she would get a sex line. I was trying to help my daughter.”

The chat line’s number has been removed from the attorney general’s Web site, and his office has apologized to the girl’s family.

“Again our sincerest apologies to the family that was affected,” said Sandi Copes, a spokeswoman for Attorney General Bill McCollum.

More from msnbc.com First Read: Around the world in eight days First Read: Palin tour takes page from campaign From cheers to tears near Fort Hood Scoop: Levi Johnston poses with only a hockey stick Stimulus tracker: See where millions of dollars went On Twitter: Breaking news updates | Weird and wild

MORE FROM WEIRD NEWS

Weird news Section Front

Principal bans four-letter word — ‘meep!’ Tallest man unveils largest gingerbread cookie Wacky records set around the world Facebook message frees NYC robbery suspect 8th-grader suspended for wild Bengals haircut Achoo! Girl, 12, is sneezing 10 times a minute 1.5 pounds of metal pulled from stomach School sells test scores to raise money Device flu-proofs your holy water Britons among 'ugliest people,' dating site says Weird news Section Front   Add Weird news headlines to your news reader: