Forex Investment

A 15-YEAR-OLD boy who was freed from a four-year kidnap ordeal told for the first time last night of how he was too “terrified” to try to escape, and prayed every day to be rescued.

Shawn Hornbeck, who was 11 when he was snatched from the streets of St Louis, Missouri, said: “I prayed to God that one day I would be back with my family.”

During his four years in captivity, he had access to television but could not bear to watch news reports of his disappearance and his parents’ search for him.

“I just started crying instantly, I couldn’t watch the news… just seeing stories about other missing kids would have set me off because I’ve been there, it’s just too sad.”

He added: “There was a time I was thinking of giving up, but I just thought of what they were doing - searching and looking for me. I saw they weren’t giving up so I figured I shouldn’t. I felt their hope and love.”

Shawn was found last Friday, living in an apartment belonging to a 41-year-old pizza parlour manager, Michael Devlin, who has been charged with kidnap. Also in the flat was Ben Ownby, a 13-year-old who had been abducted four days before.

Police have not said whether either boy was sexually abused.

Shawn said of Ben last night: “I’m thankful that he held in there for those couple of days. I’m sorry for what he went through because I told myself a long time ago I never want another kid to go through what I went through.”

At one point he even posted a cryptic message on his parents’ own website, he admitted. “I was hoping it might give some kind of hint,” he added.

Clutching his parents’ hands, he explained: “I want it back how it was - just go back to school, work, spend time with each other, work with stuff, fix cars.”

A 15-YEAR-OLD boy who was freed from a four-year kidnap ordeal told for the first time last night of how he was too “terrified” to try to escape, and prayed every day to be rescued.

Shawn Hornbeck, who was 11 when he was snatched from the streets of St Louis, Missouri, said: “I prayed to God that one day I would be back with my family.”

During his four years in captivity, he had access to television but could not bear to watch news reports of his disappearance and his parents’ search for him.

“I just started crying instantly, I couldn’t watch the news… just seeing stories about other missing kids would have set me off because I’ve been there, it’s just too sad.”

He added: “There was a time I was thinking of giving up, but I just thought of what they were doing - searching and looking for me. I saw they weren’t giving up so I figured I shouldn’t. I felt their hope and love.”

Shawn was found last Friday, living in an apartment belonging to a 41-year-old pizza parlour manager, Michael Devlin, who has been charged with kidnap. Also in the flat was Ben Ownby, a 13-year-old who had been abducted four days before.

Police have not said whether either boy was sexually abused.

Shawn said of Ben last night: “I’m thankful that he held in there for those couple of days. I’m sorry for what he went through because I told myself a long time ago I never want another kid to go through what I went through.”

At one point he even posted a cryptic message on his parents’ own website, he admitted. “I was hoping it might give some kind of hint,” he added.

Clutching his parents’ hands, he explained: “I want it back how it was - just go back to school, work, spend time with each other, work with stuff, fix cars.”

A 15-YEAR-OLD boy who was freed from a four-year kidnap ordeal told for the first time last night of how he was too “terrified” to try to escape, and prayed every day to be rescued.

Shawn Hornbeck, who was 11 when he was snatched from the streets of St Louis, Missouri, said: “I prayed to God that one day I would be back with my family.”

During his four years in captivity, he had access to television but could not bear to watch news reports of his disappearance and his parents’ search for him.

“I just started crying instantly, I couldn’t watch the news… just seeing stories about other missing kids would have set me off because I’ve been there, it’s just too sad.”

He added: “There was a time I was thinking of giving up, but I just thought of what they were doing - searching and looking for me. I saw they weren’t giving up so I figured I shouldn’t. I felt their hope and love.”

Shawn was found last Friday, living in an apartment belonging to a 41-year-old pizza parlour manager, Michael Devlin, who has been charged with kidnap. Also in the flat was Ben Ownby, a 13-year-old who had been abducted four days before.

Police have not said whether either boy was sexually abused.

Shawn said of Ben last night: “I’m thankful that he held in there for those couple of days. I’m sorry for what he went through because I told myself a long time ago I never want another kid to go through what I went through.”

At one point he even posted a cryptic message on his parents’ own website, he admitted. “I was hoping it might give some kind of hint,” he added.

Clutching his parents’ hands, he explained: “I want it back how it was - just go back to school, work, spend time with each other, work with stuff, fix cars.”