We’ve heard a lot of stories about how the iPhone SOS feature has saved lives. For a woman who just had a blast on a beach with her friends, little did she know that her iPhone would save her from sexual assault. Ironically, the assailant asked for her help in finding his iPhone.
Assailant Asks for the Victim’s Help Finding His iPhone
Wavy wrote that on Dec. 29, 2019, Kelli Worst was leaving Virginia Beach Oceanfront when 22-year-old Najee Bullock approached her. The normal-looking man asked for her help in finding his lost iPhone. Bullock told Worst that he was in the military. This appealed to Worst’s sensibilities, so she unsuspectingly agreed to help the man.
To make their search for the missing iPhone faster, Worst tried calling the number that Bullock gave him. She couldn’t contact the number, so she tried to enter it using the Find My app, and found that the number was invalid. That was when she finally realized that Bullock lured her to the beach.
SOS Feature of the iPhone to the Rescue
To make a long story short, Bullock made some untoward actions with the aim of defiling Worst. But with Worst’s presence of mind, she activated the SOS feature on her iPhone. She managed to make a call to 911, who then responded on time and managed to rescue Worst from Bullock.
While the horrifying experience traumatized Worst, her suffering finally ended in December 2021. Bullock pleaded guilty to abducting Worst with the intent to defile her. Subsequently, he was sentenced to 30 years, with 15 years suspended.
How to Set up iPhone’s SOS Feature
Thanks to the iPhone’s SOS feature, Kelly prevented Bullock from succeeding with his assault. Speaking of the SOS feature, it would be wise to know how to set it up on your iPhone. You can check this in Settings > Emergency SOS. In case of emergencies, simply press and hold the side button and either of the volume buttons. After that, swipe “Emergency SOS” on your iPhone to make the call. Alternatively, rapidly pressing the side button five times will also trigger your iPhone to call emergency services.
Hey there,
Ok. I’ve never done this before, and I’m not trying to be a jerk. I’m probably gonna catch flack for this comment, but I’ve got a big problem with your word choice in this article. You repeatedly used the word “defile”. Let me post the definition of “defile” from thefreedictionary.com:
The word you’re looking for is “rape” or possibly “sexual assault”. A sexual assault survivor is not made filthy or dirty by the actions of another; he or she is not dishonored by another’s lack of honor. It doesn’t matter whether or not that survivor is a virgin. I love Apple products, and I’m very, very grateful that this woman was spared being raped, but I really would like you to reconsider your wording here.
I completely understand your point of view, but the legal realm often has its own definitions. The wording used was what the court used in the case to define the charges brought against the would-be rapist.
Arnold:
Stories like this provide one with a mix of disgust and outrage at the base depravity of scum like sexual predators or other assailants commingled with delight in the quick thinking, resourcefulness and ultimate security of a would-be victim; a mix that settles into a quiet satisfaction that, in the end, the innocent are safe and the harmful are put away. It is yet one more reminder of how reliant we now are on our devices, and appreciative of the secure ecosystem that Apple have created to enhance our security.
Before my loved ones leave the house, (at least when I’m Stateside) I’m always checking to see that they have their iPhones, and will discretely check on them from time to time, especially if alerted to danger in their area. And I’m unapologetic; it’s what dads do. More than once, I have had to personally intervene with bad guys, and would not have known but for my kids having an iPhone.
That said, particularly with victims of predation and violence in mind, in the Emergency SOS app, there are not only two options for using the system (a long press and hold of the side and one of the volume buttons, as well as a 5 presses of the side button), but an option to play a countdown sound. Given that this countdown sound can alert the bad guys that a call for help is about to go out, giving them the chance to wrest control of the device and stop the countdown, one should consider disabling that audible countdown, particularly for those situations where discretion and quiet are essential to safety.
Thanks for the sharing that story.