Who is Polly Klaas?
Polly Klaas was twelve when she was kidnapped from her bedroom at knife-point October 1, 1993. While having a slumber party with friends, a man entered her room, tied up her friends, and took Polly. News of Polly's abduction spread rapidly, giving her the identifier America's Child. 1 Polly's body was found on December 13, 1993.
The search for Polly Klaas was the first that used the Internet as a major source of dispersing information on the abduction. Because of this, her missing poster received higher distribution than any poster had previously. 2
Because of the kidnapping of Polly Klaas, each of her parents created an organization. Eve Nichol, Polly's mother, created Polly Klaas Foundation, while her father, Marc, created KlaasKids Foundation. Each of these organizations has resources devoted to keeping children safe online.