Runaway, Parents Reconciling Teen Apparently Lured To S.F. By Member Of Gay ‘Chat Room’

A teenage boy who was apparently lured into running away through an online gay and lesbian “chat room” returned with his parents to his Maple Valley home near Seattle early Monday.

His father, Bill Montgomery, said just before noon Monday that his son, Daniel, was still sleeping after getting home from San Francisco about 1 a.m.

“The good thing now is that my son is safe. He’s home. I guess I would call that a miracle of God,” said the father.

Daniel ran away May 18 after being sent a bus ticket in the mail, apparently by a person calling himself “Damien Starr,” with whom Daniel had communicated through an America Online gay and lesbian “chat room.”

Pam McGraw, an American Online spokeswoman, said the online service had terminated Damien Starr’s account for violations of the company’s terms of service.

Asked what the violation was, she responded: “Solicitation of a minor would be a violation of our service.”

Starr’s membership profile, which had described him as an 18-year-old single male who lived on Nob Hill in San Francisco, no longer was listed on the online service Monday. The profile had given a sexually graphic answer under “hobbies.”

Montgomery said when he and his wife reunited with Daniel in San Francisco on Sunday, the initial plan was for Daniel to go to Southern California to spend time with his grandmother to avoid the press. But they changed their minds at the last minute.

“He doesn’t want any attention,” the father said. “I made a promise to my son. I told him we weren’t going to embarrass him in the media today.”

Monday was also a big day for Daniel in another way: He turned 16. Montgomery said the family planned to celebrate the birthday together by seeking privacy outside the Maple Valley area, getting some pizza and doing some other things Daniel likes to do.

Airport police came across Daniel early Sunday, alone in San Francisco International Airport.

The FBI is investigating the case for possible violations of the Mann Act, which forbids transporting minors across state lines for immoral purposes, but has remained close-mouthed about the case, as has Montgomery.

“We haven’t done a lot of questioning of him,” the father said of his son. “We’ve had lots of hugs and kisses.”

When Daniel ran away, his father told reporters that he had learned that his son apparently was coming to grips with the possibility he might be gay and did not want to talk to his parents about it.

Monday, the older Montgomery said, “I can understand why he might not, and those are issues we have to work out.”

He said there probably are “challenges” that lie ahead for the family. But he added, “I’m going to spend more time with him, let him know we’re there, let him know we care.”

Montgomery called for all online services, including America Online, to put more controls on children’s access to “sensitive” areas.

McGraw of America Online said Montgomery apparently is unaware that that it provides “parental controls” as a part of its service.

No one under the age of 18 is allowed to have an account, McGraw said. A child can gain access only through an adult’s account, she said.

The adult account holder can use the “parental control” function to restrict access to any of the interactive messaging services, such as chat rooms or instant messages.

“We really encourage parents to take an active role, just like they would with any other entertainment or communications medium,” McGraw said.

The Internet has no such controls.