The Worst Offenders of them All

I have class tonight. The topics will be Child Sexual Abuse. It won't be easy to listen to but its so important to learn how to deal with a child victim.

Its pretty common knowledge that in the prison system, those serving time for sexually abusing children are the most hated inmates of all - by other inmates and guards, and are often brutally attacked or even killed. Its inconceivable to most of us how anyone could use and abuse a young child that way.

Yet...chances are the predator was once an abused child him/herself. Not always, but more often than not.

So somewhere in time a terrible cycle was started that continued down through the generations.

What really makes me sick is the guys like that dude (don't even want his name on my blog) that proudly admit to liking little girls and even has a website giving hints to other pedophiles how to find them, with photos he's taken of little girls out in public places with their parents! He says he's never touched one and therefore has broken no laws. Right. I find that hard to believe.

When Megan's Law website (it lists all registered sex offenders by area) first appeared online I immediately did a search of my city and found about 20 men on it. ONE OF THEM WAS A NEIGHBOR

AND ONE OF THEM

WAS MY SON'S FORMER SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHER!
He was on there for:

Offense Code	Description
288(a)	LEWD OR LASCIVIOUS ACTS WITH CHILD UNDER 14 YEARS
288a(c)	ORAL COPULATION WITH PERSON UNDER 14/ETC OR BY FORCE/ETC
289(j)	SEX PENETRATION WITH FOREIGN OBJECT:VICTIM UNDER 14 YEARS

You can imagine how this made me feel? I had known this man, his wife and his son for 7 years when I went to the same church. People left thier kids with him every week. I was even his assistant for awhile. I never would imagine such a "nice guy" doing such vile acts.

Its our job as parents to teach our children that under NO CIRCUMSTANCE should anyone touch them inappropriately. Of course the trick is to teach them what that means at a level they can understand without scaring them and making them paranoid.

I also think we need to know who lives in our neighborhoods. I was shocked that the guy that lives so near me was on the list. Pedophiles are often seemingly "average" guys.

Being molested by an adult as a young child is so confusing and traumatic. Most of the people I know that have lived through it have had dealt with major relationship problems as a result.

I'll share anything helpful that I learn tonight.