Dan and Sarah Blauser first shared their story on Facebook:
Barnes & Noble allows porn on child nook
DEAR FACEBOOK FRIENDS, WE ARE ASKING THAT YOU SHARE OUR STORY WITH YOUR FB FRIENDS AND FAMILY. THIS JUST HAPPENED TO US LAST WEEK, AND WE ARE SICK. WE WANT BARNES AND NOBLE TO MAKE A CHANGE, FOR THE SAKE OF ALL OF THE OTHER CHILDREN OUT THERE….SO THAT NONE OF THEM HAVE TO BE EXPOSED TO WHAT SUTTON WAS EXPOSED TO. THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR IT.
A week ago, while waiting for an appointment at the Apple Store, my husband and I took our three children (ages 4 yrs, 3 yrs, and 10 months) into a Barnes and Noble store in Southlake, TX to spend some time looking through the children’s books. Before heading upstairs to the children’s book section, my husband wanted to stop at the cafe to get a drink. I noticed there was a small, colorful, kids table and chairs set up with Nooks attached, along with a sign clearly stating that it was a “Children’s Table”. I took my two sons to the little children’s table and allowed them to sit down and try out the Nooks available for them while we waited for my husband.
While the boys began trying out the Nooks, I stood right next to them and began taking my baby out of her stroller. From the corner of my eye, I noticed there was something playing on the Nook my 4 year old had. Trying to prevent my daughter from fussing, I didn’t stop long enough to see what was playing on his screen, that is, until he held it up to me and asked what “it” was. Imagine my horror when I realized there was a pornographic VIDEO clip playing on his Nook. A clip showing a woman performing a sexual act on a man. Fully nude. Disgust.
I immediately removed the Nook from my son’s view and called a Barnes and Noble employee over to show him what was playing. Anger isn’t the word. I wanted to simply vomit. My stomach churned, I took my children away from the “children’s table” and found my husband (still standing in line) to tell him what had happened. My 4 year old was sobbing. My husband found the employee I had spoken with, and then spoke to him as well as the store manager about what had happened.
After talking to the manager, my husband was shocked to learn that Barnes and Noble (according to this manager) does NOT have their Nooks protected from pornographic material because they are in “DEMO” mode. SAY WHAT? So anyone can go into a B&N store and search the DEMO Nooks for whatever their heart’s desire? THE CLEARLY MARKED CHILDREN’S TABLE HAS NO INTERNET PROTECTION????? The excuse was, “Because our devices are in DEMO mode”. (After our appointment at the Apple Store, my husband and I questioned several Apple employees to find out what kind of protection they have on ALL of their many devices made available to customers, including the iPads at THEIR children’s table. GUESS WHAT?? Even though the Apple store has all of their devices on DEMO mode, you can’t even search “Victoria Secret” without it shutting down your search. Apple has done their job!)
Before leaving B&N, the store manager took our names and numbers and told us the district manager (who answers to corporate) would be calling us to discuss what had happened. We’ve been waiting… a week now….. I called corporate to discuss the situation, and the woman would not comment. Wonder why? She told me I had to wait for the district manager to call. So, I’m waiting… Perhaps this story will get them moving a little faster.
So, Barnes and Noble? Is it no big deal that a 4 year old was just grossly introduced to sex in one of your fine establishments? Is it no big deal that you clearly portrayed something to be for CHILDREN, that is IN FACT NOT!? Is it no big deal that my son’s mind, that never saw a woman’s breasts as anything more than a soft comfort on his mommy, now has an image of something grossly different embedded in his mind? If you ask me Barnes and Noble, I’d say you are at fault of sexual abuse of a child. You are KNOWINGLY allowing and ENCOURAGING children to play with something in your stores that has the potential to destroy their innocence, to burn images into their heads, to steal their childhood. I am SICKENED by what has happened to my son. I have lost sleep every night since it has happened, praying that the Lord could remove that disgust from his mind and restore his childlike knowledge. What are you going to do about this Barnes and Nobles? I am so thankful that I was standing over my son, right there to sweep it out of sight.
We are sharing this story to get Barnes and Noble to see that they have a problem that needs to be fixed immediately. We are sharing this story in hopes that no other children have to see what my son did, and be grossly introduced to something and taint their mind toward something that God created to be beautiful. Perhaps Barnes and Noble, you should put a large disclaimer up above your “children’s table”…informing parents that their child may be introduced to pornography and that you have no internet protection to keep that from happening.
Waiting to hear from you B&N! — with Dan Blauser.
