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Sexual Exploitation of Children
I have had some challenging jobs in my three-decade medical career, but one job in particular ranks high on the stress-o-meter. For several years, I worked part-time as a pediatric sexual abuse examiner.
Our on-call medical team would be summoned by law enforcement to provide the proper forensic examinations in the emergency room when children have been sexually assaulted or raped. Each examination would take up to two to three hours and would involve the collection of numerous specimens for DNA analysis and photographic evidence. I performed about a hundred of these intense examinations on children from three months to adolescents, and it never got easy, as you might imagine. If the perpetrator was ever caught and prosecuted, I would have to defend my examination findings in a court of law.
A few weeks ago, a friend of ours discovered that her 13 year old daughter was being groomed by a child molester on a popular (unnamed by choice) Internet site used by teens and children. The parents were horrified when the read the sexually-explicit postings by their "innocent" little girl and a man named "Death".
I shudder to think what might have happened if she and this criminal would have met. Recently, Dateline NBC has been doing a series of sting operations on Internet child molesters. As the school vacation time approaches, our pediatric sexual assault team saw an increase in calls for examinations. Bored teens are left alone at home; and younger children are often left in the care of others.
Adolescents are not stupid, but they certainly do a lot of stupid things. A repeating summer scenario was the 13 to 15 year old girl involved with an over-18 (in some cases, over 30) year old man. The girls would typically lie about their age (and many looked mature-enough to pull it off) and they would strike up a relationship with these men.
Even if they revealed their true age, it probably would not make any difference to these child sexual predators. Soon, alcohol or drugs will be offered. Somewhat later, these girls would be facing a serious situation that no girl or woman should ever face. They may be staring into the face of a rapist.
Many of these sexual assaults are never reported to law enforcement. The young girls are terrified to reveal what happened. They worry about sexually transmitted diseases or pregnancy. They worry what their parents might say. And, they worry that it was their fault. The girls that do reveal the sexual assault and involve law enforcement must undergo an evidentiary examination. Someday, they may have to face their perpetrator in court.
Parents are supposed to protect their children. I remember a case of a 13 year old mentally-challenged girl who attended a Special Education Program in our country. During a school program about inappropriate sexual conduct, she mentioned that her father did those things all of the time.
School officials called law enforcement; law enforcement interviewed the child and she was transferred to the emergency room. The ER called me at 1 AM to perform the evidentiary examination. By this time, Lisa (not her real name) had clammed up and was no longer admitting to being molested. She was cooperative for the examination which included a pregnancy test. The test was positive.
When I informed the mother of this finding, she said, "Damn, he told me he had stopped doing it." She grabbed the little girl by the arm and said they were going home. I informed her that I was placing this child in protective custody. She was not going home to the perpetrator on my watch. A struggle ensued, security was called, and even some misdirected people in the waiting room tried to beat me up.
I did not let go of that child until Mom was in handcuffs. She hugged and cried on my shoulder as the police searched her for weapons. When the police pulled out some crack cocaine, the little girl wailed even louder. God, I hate this job, but someone has to do it.
Another evening, I was called to examine a six month old baby girl and her three-year old sister. Their prostitute mother had left them in the expert care of a homeless man that lived in the garage. Another child in the apartment complex had looked through the window and witnessed this animal sexually assaulting both children. The police were called and he was actually caught in the act. The children were sent to the ER so that I could examine them.
The baby was sleeping, and the three year old was very happy to see me. I offered my hand and she jumped on my lap and hugged me, head lice and all. She said she was hungry. I took the necessary mouth swabs, but before starting the genital examination, I ordered some food from the hospital kitchen for her. When the food arrived, she devoured it. She tore into one of the two chicken legs like nothing I had ever seen. She downed the milk, ate the apple, and inhaled the granola bar.
As I collected the trash, I notice only one chicken bone. Where was the other? This little three year old had hid it in her jacket, saving it for her six month old sister. "Why are you crying?" she asked. Six hours later, I had completed the forensic examinations on these two little innocent children and went home.
The evidence that I collected put this child rapist in prison for life.
I am sorry, I can't write about this anymore. Next time I'll write something happier.
Parents, protect your children.
Related Topics: Pros and Cons For Kids' Internet Use, How to Protect Yourself Against Crime, Sexual Abuse: Support Group
Technorati Tags: sexual abuse, child abuse, internet exploitation
Our on-call medical team would be summoned by law enforcement to provide the proper forensic examinations in the emergency room when children have been sexually assaulted or raped. Each examination would take up to two to three hours and would involve the collection of numerous specimens for DNA analysis and photographic evidence. I performed about a hundred of these intense examinations on children from three months to adolescents, and it never got easy, as you might imagine. If the perpetrator was ever caught and prosecuted, I would have to defend my examination findings in a court of law.
A few weeks ago, a friend of ours discovered that her 13 year old daughter was being groomed by a child molester on a popular (unnamed by choice) Internet site used by teens and children. The parents were horrified when the read the sexually-explicit postings by their "innocent" little girl and a man named "Death".
I shudder to think what might have happened if she and this criminal would have met. Recently, Dateline NBC has been doing a series of sting operations on Internet child molesters. As the school vacation time approaches, our pediatric sexual assault team saw an increase in calls for examinations. Bored teens are left alone at home; and younger children are often left in the care of others.
Adolescents are not stupid, but they certainly do a lot of stupid things. A repeating summer scenario was the 13 to 15 year old girl involved with an over-18 (in some cases, over 30) year old man. The girls would typically lie about their age (and many looked mature-enough to pull it off) and they would strike up a relationship with these men.
Even if they revealed their true age, it probably would not make any difference to these child sexual predators. Soon, alcohol or drugs will be offered. Somewhat later, these girls would be facing a serious situation that no girl or woman should ever face. They may be staring into the face of a rapist.
Many of these sexual assaults are never reported to law enforcement. The young girls are terrified to reveal what happened. They worry about sexually transmitted diseases or pregnancy. They worry what their parents might say. And, they worry that it was their fault. The girls that do reveal the sexual assault and involve law enforcement must undergo an evidentiary examination. Someday, they may have to face their perpetrator in court.
Parents are supposed to protect their children. I remember a case of a 13 year old mentally-challenged girl who attended a Special Education Program in our country. During a school program about inappropriate sexual conduct, she mentioned that her father did those things all of the time.
School officials called law enforcement; law enforcement interviewed the child and she was transferred to the emergency room. The ER called me at 1 AM to perform the evidentiary examination. By this time, Lisa (not her real name) had clammed up and was no longer admitting to being molested. She was cooperative for the examination which included a pregnancy test. The test was positive.
When I informed the mother of this finding, she said, "Damn, he told me he had stopped doing it." She grabbed the little girl by the arm and said they were going home. I informed her that I was placing this child in protective custody. She was not going home to the perpetrator on my watch. A struggle ensued, security was called, and even some misdirected people in the waiting room tried to beat me up.
I did not let go of that child until Mom was in handcuffs. She hugged and cried on my shoulder as the police searched her for weapons. When the police pulled out some crack cocaine, the little girl wailed even louder. God, I hate this job, but someone has to do it.
Another evening, I was called to examine a six month old baby girl and her three-year old sister. Their prostitute mother had left them in the expert care of a homeless man that lived in the garage. Another child in the apartment complex had looked through the window and witnessed this animal sexually assaulting both children. The police were called and he was actually caught in the act. The children were sent to the ER so that I could examine them.
The baby was sleeping, and the three year old was very happy to see me. I offered my hand and she jumped on my lap and hugged me, head lice and all. She said she was hungry. I took the necessary mouth swabs, but before starting the genital examination, I ordered some food from the hospital kitchen for her. When the food arrived, she devoured it. She tore into one of the two chicken legs like nothing I had ever seen. She downed the milk, ate the apple, and inhaled the granola bar.
As I collected the trash, I notice only one chicken bone. Where was the other? This little three year old had hid it in her jacket, saving it for her six month old sister. "Why are you crying?" she asked. Six hours later, I had completed the forensic examinations on these two little innocent children and went home.
The evidence that I collected put this child rapist in prison for life.
I am sorry, I can't write about this anymore. Next time I'll write something happier.
Parents, protect your children.
Related Topics: Pros and Cons For Kids' Internet Use, How to Protect Yourself Against Crime, Sexual Abuse: Support Group
Technorati Tags: sexual abuse, child abuse, internet exploitation
22 Comments:
I give you tons of credit for doing this. I could never be a doctor having to examine young children. I am a mandadted reporter and it is extremely hard just to deal with that, but examining children must be harder. Thumbs up to you!
Why is it 'hard' to be a mandated reporter? I am a law enforcement officer and I specialize in the investigation of child abuse and sexual assault. In my state, EVERYONE is a mandated reporter, by law. Even if they weren't, wouldn't you WANT to save a child from further sexual abuse if you knew something was happening? You may be the only person who knows and can save this child....why should the law 'make' you report it? I feel sorry for you.
From Nebraska.
I grew up in a very abusive home, bothe physically and sexually. When I was involved in a major car accident at 17, the doctors noticed signs of abuse and reported it. When I woke up from the drug induced coma I met this awesome lady, she was the abuse examiner and she had finished all her work but had come back by to see how I was doing. I ended up being removed from the home . After 6 years of counseling and one residential treatment center for depression, I am doing well now and am able to deal with it all. She and I ended up getting to know each other. She kept track of me through many ups and downs. We still, 13 years later, try to talk on the phone every couple of months. After I read this post, I emailed her to see how she is doing. It's a hard job but it's much appreciated by those whose lives you effect.
I know it takes a very strong person to do what you do. Most of my life I was abused sexually, physically, and mentally. By my family. And when I was 14, I began to do child pornography. The police saved me a few months shy of my 18th birthday. I'm doing good now and am 21. I really appreciate what you do. Thanks.
This is why it's hard. You really want to believe that it's not going on, but in reality it is. I know that I have helped children. In the past three years I have had to report 10 cases. Those chldren were removed from their homes and now live else where. It is mostly the emotions you feel when you know a child is being abused. I ask myself how could a parent or adult do this to young children. It is sad. Don't get me wrong but I am glad that I have helped young children get out of abusive families.
I guess I should start out by saying I have seen all sides of this issue. I was sexually abused by 3 men in my family, who should have protected me. Now, I am a mother with 2 children.(ages 14 and 20) About 1 and 1/2 years ago I found out that my son had been abusing his sister. A parents worse nightmare...right? I feel guilty because I should have seen the signs, but I was in my own hell suffering from severe depression and anxiety. Now, my daughter is in therapy and is doing well. She is also being treated for bi-polar depression. My son is serving a 10 year sentence. I am torn. I am in the middle. My first allegiance is to my daughter, but I love my son also, and I miss him so much. He is oly 20 and I am afraid for his future. His psycho-sexual eval said he was very low risk for re-offending. We are seeking a lowering of his sentence, but I do not have great faith in that. Oh well, that's it for now. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks
anon 10:18..I can think of nothing more heartbreaking than the situation you have described. I hope that you're also in therapy with your daughter?
Our natural reaction would be to hate whoever had done such a thing to our child, but when it was done by another one of your children the pain must be tremendous.
Dr. Phil had a show very similar last year. Where the oldest boy had been molesting his baby sister. It was very sad trying to put yourself in the place of those parents.
I'm very sorry for what you are going through.
Yes, I am also in therapy, and I hope that the pain will lesson with time. It is common to lump everyone into one pile and say, "those people are awful, we should lock them all away." But not all offenders are predators. Not all offenders, given time and therapy, would re-offend. And as I have told my son, if after he serves his time, and with the appropriate counseling and help he may need, if he ever does re-offend, I would be the first to drag him in to the authorities. It is not my belief that he will be in that category, and I pray that I am correct.
By saying all of that, I do not take away from the depravity that those who search the internet and neighborhoods for their next victims. For those, there needs to be the appropriate punishment, and I am always behind my daughter while on the internet and talk to her about this subject because we just do not know who is out there preying on our children. I will say that my daughter did e-mail the officer, who portrayed himself as an 18 year, old to show parents and teens how easy it is for their info to get out and how vulnerable they really are to the seduction of those who decieve.
This situation also hits home because my brother-in-law worked as a detective in the child abuse division of his department. I admire and give credit to those who work with these children and who, by law, must report incidents of abuse. How often is it, that everyday citizens see, what they feel in their gut is abuse, and never say anything because they do not want to get involved???? We need to get involved. We need to talk to our children, in an age appropriate way, about what can happen, so that they feel comfotable coming to us or someone else they trust. So often, as when I was young, and in my daughter's case, the victims stay quiet, for whatever reason. We need to be their advocates.
Dr. Moser,
Thank you for that blog. As the mother of a 13 yr old girl, I deal with the backlash from her and hear alot how she is "sheltered" compared to her friends. Well, I shelter her because I love her and want to protect her from exactly what you described in your blog.
She is not allowed to be dropped off out in public with her group of friends. She is not allowed to spend countless hours at home alone on the computer. She is monitored excessively from the time she gets up in the morning until she goes to bed at night. Her Dad and I escort her where she goes to and from.
We love her more than anything in this world and would do anything to protect her.
Some parents are ignorant to the dangers out there. Some are drug addicts and do not care. Some would rather their children be sexually assaulted and turn a blind eye than to loose their mate.
I think it is wonderful that we have people in this profession that can seek out molestors and try to put them away. It is just my only hope that Judges would start doing the same.
I have a friend that is going through a similiar situation as the one a previous poster described. She had to leave work early last week because her six year old neice came and told her that her thirteen year old cousin was molesting her. (the thirteen year old is the stepdaughter of this woman).
I could not believe what I was hearing and the family didn't do anything to discipline the thirteen year old girl for what she had done. What she had done went beyond normal childhood curiousity. If there was a one year age difference then I could see how it might be normal childhood behavior but there was a seven year difference in age. This teenage girl was molesting her young female cousin and wasn't disciplined for it.
When are people going to stop turning a blind eye and start realizing that this is happening more than we think. When are parents going to stop thinking only of themselves and their pain and start looking for warning signs in their children?
I posted the 4th comment above. I don't think it's right to categorize all or even most parents of molested/abused into the category of being too selfish or not being there enough to see the signs. I had a wonderful mother. My father molested me until I was 3. My sister(6 yrs. old), told my mom and we were examined and found to have been molested. My mom took us immediately away and we never lived with him again. We hid for a few years from him because he had tried to kill our mom and threatened to kill us after she took us away. She was devastated when she found out. She still blames herself to this day for not seeing the signs. Although, I tell her it's not her fault.I always told myself that when I had nieces and children I'd be able to see the signs but, I realize that might not be true. My mom was an awesome mom but, because of what happened to my sis and I we began acting out as teenagers. My sister began beating up people and ran away from home at 16 and never came back. The bad thing was, that because I was ditching school, sneaking out at night to skateboard, and just not listening to my mom the state took me from her at 14. Everything got worse from there. I was still sneaking out at night in fostercare and skipping school(by the way, I graduated w/ a 4.0), and I met a man. A man who would groom me for child pornography. And for 4 years, I did child pornography. There were many of us girls there and no one even knew what was gonig on until they found me beaten and tied up in a park 2 months shy of my 18th b-day. No one suspected a thing. They just thought I was a rebellious teenager. But in the hospital I told the detective. And everything seemed to make sense. My mom, whom I visited regularly didn't even know. Not my judge, therapist, case worker, case manager, guardian adlitem, psychologist, psychiatrist, police, etc. You get the point. Because the same signs they would have seen were the same signs a rebellious, depressed teen would have displayed. I publically speak for abused children and even helped the police with a few child pornography cases. But again, my mom was awesome. She's the only reason I'm alive today. The last time I attempted suicide when I was 17, I flat-lined. But she never gave up on me. And I'm a completely different person today. So please don't categorize most parents like that. Because you might know something's wrong with your child but, you might not know they're being abused. And even if you have the closest relationship in the world doesn't mean they'll necessarily tell you if it happens. But the chances of you knowing are higher if you talk to your children. So thanks to you parents who are there. You're kids are lucky to have you.
This is so sad. I invite you to visit my blog & read my post "Save the children."
What do you do when you have a court order from a Judge MAKING you give visitation rights to a father that is a sex offender, a grandmother that is on the child abuse registry and 2 uncles that are registered sex offenders of their sister??
We have gone to court many times and the Judge refuses to listen to our pleas. This last time, he said he didn't care how many times we come back to court, he's NOT going to change his mind.
We are beside ourselves with worry. The 21 month old baby has come back with bruises, rashes, and this last time his privates and bottom was raw. Health and Human services were notified as were the local police. Still, the baby has to go back to them twice a month.
We are at our wits end.
I was sexually and physically abused from the ages 12 to 14 and was never impregnated. Many times during the abuse knives and scissors were used and I was never examined and I'm afraid to be. I was wondering how much of a chance I would have of bearing children, and if I could would there be a possibility of the baby being retarded or handicapped?
To the last anonymous commenter who was abused between the ages of 12 and 14, we invite you to talk with others on our Sexual Abuse: Support Group message board.
TO Anon with the 21 month old babe- I've been there, so please listen. First, ask for a different judge. If he won't budge, ask for supervised visits. If he still won't budge, report him for "judicial misconduct" to the Bar Assoc. that governs your state and district. Document and photograph EVERYTHING!!! You must protect your baby. Train your babe on good, bad and secret touches. If it comes down to it, and nobody will help you, take the baby and hide. You will be in our prayers!
I hope that you relize that you are a childs protector! and may that GOD has is armes drapped around you SIR. Thank you for doing all that you so greatfully do. may you be blessed with great love and prosper in everything that you do.
Thank you for "shining the light" where it is badly needed. I just googled "sexual curiousity" because we found our son (6) and daughter (3) under the covers with her panties off (no touching but still...) and were horrified and grief-stricken. He knows it is wrong (and she is too young to understand) but what do we do now? What consequences can we give him (we gave him a time out) so that he understands the behaviour is always wrong (when you're a child) without him thinking he's a horrible person? Do we need help?
To the person who googled sexual curiosity... My brother and I were about the same age as your children when he started doing things like that to me, as far back as I can remember. While I do not have advice on what to do, do something. In my situation the situation progressed into abuse, and I was always too much smaller to do anything. My parents knew things like that had happened when we were little but not how bad it got over the years and I will never be able to stop resenting my parents for not putting an end to it.
Even though he is just a child now, doesnt mean he will always be. The only way I will keep in touch with my brother is if now, as an adult he has kids one day, because I fear for what he may do to them.
By he is a child, I meant your son is a child. That he will grow up someday and must know it is wrong before than
I think what you do is very hard and sometimes you might get into the business and you will get to involve and when this happen young girls that age won't understand they can't trust you at first and i admit as a 16 year old teenager itz very hard ive been sexually assault and iv been hurt and im afraid for my sisters i think your doing a great job and you should keep it up :)
For those who have been abused, perhaps you might find some outlet in talking with others on our Sexual Abuse Support Group message board. It is "a safe and friendly environment for receiving loving support from other survivors of abuse."
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