-Eric
Who took the pictures? Michael Devlin? Were they staged & was he directing? Poor Shawn - being raised by a creepy pedophile/possible child murderer could not have been pleasant. God knows what this kid has seen and done, I'm sure he'd like to get over it & move on with his life. I'm praying for him & his family. They have a long road ahead.
Weird. Makes me wonder if he was actually forced to participate in this activity.
His eyes look dull.
Considering how most teens rebel during this age, it's not surprising.
Can't imagine how messed up his head is after living with a pedophile for four years.
I believe he was 11 years old at the time he was kidnapped. He was raised by a pervert. What do people expect to see as a result? A sweet little Choir boy? I think this stuff is more a result of the kidnapping and sick upbringing by Devlin, than it is a proof of Shawn wanting the fate he was dealt.
This is hilarious. When the subject is 'shocking photos' you expect to hear about shocking photos, not a kid with a bandana around his face and a gun. There's a whole lot more to this story, but I really am beginning to think it was not about sex.
PING
Yeah, they are. But bored teens, with access to a camera, have been known to take bizzare pictures. I imagine Shawn was pretty bored sitting around while his captor was at work.
Kids used to dress up as Cowboys and Indians, or football and baseball players.
Nothing unusual about these photos today, this is how "wiggers" play dress up.
FOX has sooooo jumped the shark.
ping
Why are these photos being released?
Official: Boy Guarded Other Teen
Feb 01 2:44 PM US/Eastern
By CHRISTOPHER LEONARD
Associated Press Writer
ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Abducted teen Shawn Hornbeck was ordered to guard fellow captive Ben Ownby and hide him from police after they were repeatedly left alone in their captor's apartment, an official close to the investigation told The Associated Press Thursday.
Shawn's cooperation with Michael Devlin was the result of what Shawn experienced during his first 30 days of captivity after Devlin allegedly kidnapped the boy in 2002, said the official who requested anonymity because he is not authorized to speak publicly about the case.
Shawn's isolation and abuse during that first month were so intense that the then 11-year-old's identity was torn apart, the official said. Over time, Shawn began to see Devlin as his protector and surrogate parent in a pattern common to many abuse victims, the official said.
"He's a victim. He was kidnapped. He was taken from his parents. He was forced to live with this guy. He was forced to accommodate," the official said.
The source would not elaborate on what happened to Shawn during the 30 days, but said details of the abuse and captivity would emerge soon in the case against Devlin. Devlin, a 41-year-old pizzeria manager is charged with kidnapping Shawn and Ben in separate remote Missouri towns four years apart.
In a televised interview, Shawn's parents have said that while they have not asked their son about his ordeal, they believe he was sexually abused.
Shawn, now 15, was 11 when he was kidnapped in 2002 from near his home in Richwoods. Ben was abducted in Beaufort on Jan. 8, and a white pickup seen speeding away led police to Devlin.
The boys were found Jan. 12 at Devlin's apartment in the St. Louis suburb of Kirkwood, about an hour from the towns where the boys were taken.
The night before they were discovered, the official said, Shawn answered the door when authorities arrived to question Devlin. Before Shawn answered the door, he and Devlin told Ben to hide behind the door of Devlin's bedroom and to remain silent. Shawn spoke with the authorities, as did Devlin.