Dear Panel,

About 4 months ago, I met this girl Heather through a chat room.

When I met her she told me she was 21. And I was like "All right!!" because it is close to my own age of 23. And I eventually asked this girl to go out with me in hope that we will have a relationship and be together one day.

About a month and a half after going out one of her other friends told me that she is 19. I was mad about that for a little while because of the lying.

And I come to find out this past Sunday that she is really 12. And I only found that out because I called her house and her mother wanted to know who I was. Her father was supposed to call me and tell me her real age. But Heather could not tell me this herself. So her friend told me, and her friend is 12, too. And her friend thinks it is OK that we are together.

But my problem is this:

During the relationship I came to be in love and attached to her. So now I my heart tells me to be with her, but I think from common sense that this is not right at all. Heather is now telling me she is going to run away to be with me. I tell her no, then she tells me that she is going to kill herself, and I don't want that either.

Heather also says she loves me. Like really madly in love with me. And says she cannot be without me. So now I really don't know what to do. I know I cannot be with her, but yet my heart tells me to, and I don't want her to run away or kill herself.

What should I do?

Male, age 23, USA

Lauren, Jimmy, Kalia, and Shaggy answer this question.