Pedophile Near Me
When you think of a pedophile do you imagine a stranger online grooming an unsuspecting child? Do you think of a person who is held in high esteem in the community? Could they be someone in a child’s life who is respected and revered by all whom they meet? When a parent googles pedophile near me on their computer, how close do they assume they may be residing? Do you believe if you met a pedophile you could without a doubt identify them?
Pedophiles may be nearer than you imagine. This is not a scare tactic it is a reality. It is estimated that 70-90% of pedophile cases in Australia involve an offender the child knows. Including family members.
As a prey of a pedophile and a mother of a pedophile prey. Reading on may answer questions someone may be curious about.
The following is one story, my story, from my perspective. It has taken me a long time and given me a great deal of angst. Should I write this or not?
This story spans 33 years. However, the effects are ongoing. Few people have heard it because of the shame and guilt I have endured throughout my life. Shame and guilt I put on myself and the shame and guilt my estranged family caused me to feel.
Now, after 47 years of keeping my secret, I have come to realize if I share this and just one child is spared a lifetime of self-judgment I have made the right decision. Not to mention the judgment they endure from others. As outside judgement also impacts an individual’s mental wellbeing considerably as time passes.
Keep An Open Mind
If you choose to read on keep in mind this is one individual’s story from their own perspective. A personal experience. You may be a victim yourself or know someone who has had a similar experience. Our stories are all different, the circumstances are different, the consequences are different, and the effects are different.
Read on with an open mind. Remembering abused children become adults, parents, and grandparents. They go on to live life just like any other person. The experiences they endured as children stay with them in some form. They never forget them, they learn to live with them and deal with the effects through every stage of life.
Mental Health
Trauma experienced as a child does impact life. As you age you have experiences which may trigger a memory, a feeling or an emotion. And you deal with these as they present.
Through my years I have had several triggers and to cope I sought professional help in the form of therapy. As a result, I do not believe I had Mental Health Issues I truly identify these times as life experience issues.
My Story
I sat in the witness box with my eyes and thoughts focussed the on defendants lawyer as he tried to catch me out. The jury was seated behind me but I was unaware of their presence. In my peripheral vision I could see my family seated together in unity in the gallery, arms crossed and staring. I could feel the loathing they were projecting toward the front of the courtroom. Only it wasn’t directed at the defendant, it was directed toward me, their daughter, sister, and sister-in-law. I could sense their combined thoughts, “How could you do this to him, to us.”
A Land Far Far Away
At seven years of age, my father decided to relocate our family from the eastern states of Australia to the Pilbara region of Western Australia. To small mining town, a community whose population resided purely to mine the millions of tons of iron ore in the outskirts of the town.
As a child, it was a carefree environment in which to grow and thrive. So many ways to fill time in a community closed to the general population.
An age of black and white television and phones connected to an outlet on the wall. Computers
Children played outside, riding bicycles on dirt tracks and building cubby houses and fortresses in the bushes surrounding the town. Parents didn’t worry about where their children played there was no need, because they knew they were safe within the boundaries of the town. Maybe they ventured a little beyond the town and into the surrounding bushland but that was okay. It was a carefree childhood where we could hike the surrounding hills. Swim in the billabongs we stumbled across during our adventures in the bushlands and along the dirt tracks.
Pilbara Living
Mining towns were small and everyone living there were known to each other, mostly. There was one grocery store within a mall containing a pharmacy, hairdresser and post office. Within the town, there was one pub and one gas station. One drive-in theatre where we were able to either park a car in front of the big screen or watch the movie from rows of plastic seating in front of the parking area. The town had one hospital, one public school, one sporting oval, one gymnasium, one public swimming pool, and a small airport. The closest town was about eighty miles away, driving distance, and then nothing for hundreds of miles. Our town was surrounded by red dirt and treacherous landscapes. As children, we knew our boundaries and we did not go beyond them because we were aware of the dangers.
There were no homeowners as the housing was supplied by the company which owned the mine. A small community in the middle of nowhere.
Unless you lived and worked there it was a town that didn’t exist to the outside world, because they were considered closed towns to outsiders. If you didn’t work on the mine you didn’t live in the town.
Growing Up In A Small Community
As a child growing up in this community we didn’t know we were cut off from the big wide world we just lived our days like any normal child. Attending school and amusing ourselves after school and on weekends doing normal kid stuff. The outside world came to us on a small screen in black and white shadings and that is all we knew of it.
Spending the evenings at home with our families just like any child anywhere in Australia, and we didn’t know any different.
The Monster Was Not Under The Bed
A young carefree girl doing her best to live a happy childhood. A tomboy at heart and just wanting to ride her bike and do adventurous kid stuff. After which she had to return to the house where kid stuff was different
In my home from the age of eight, I was summoned by my father on many occasions to particular areas of our family home to serve him. I always obeyed his request and never questioned, why?
After all, this is my father we all obeyed him and never asked questions. I never considered he was doing me wrong, he was my father, I trusted him, and I loved him.
As I got older and he had been summoning me on a regular basis for many years I began to question myself as to whether his actions were right or wrong. At twelve years of age, I had become brave enough to say ‘NO’. Surprisingly that word was all I needed to utter to escape the monster in my life. The pedophile near me, my father.
Was I Able to Disclose
I was twelve years old, living in a small isolated mining town in the Pilbara. My father was a respected community member, he made sure of that. He was on the school council, he went to meetings in the town all the time. Also a football coach and a supervisor on the mining site.
In our home he ruled with an iron fist, we all obeyed his every demand. My mother was afraid of him, and she had good reason to be, as he was also violent toward her. Somehow I was able to
I trusted no-one, not one adult in my life could help me. My teachers must have noticed the strap bruises on the back of my legs over the years, and those of my siblings. Yet not one teacher had reported the bruises to authorities as they would these days. So as a child, I never disclosed and kept the secret.
Fast Forward Seventeen Years
My first child was about one year of age and we were visiting my sister as we often did. She and I were chatting and laughing while reminiscing our childhood when my sister asked me one particular question. A question that shocked me and was the trigger to start me on a whole different journey in my life. A path I had forgotten or blocked out up until that moment.
After our visit, I left and the questions I began to ask myself became a focal point in my life. My subconscious had become aware of my plight. Then came the dreams, the weird and distracting dreams. Dreams I could not decipher and as a result, they haunted me.
The Disclosure
The dreams awakened me and I began the quest to find my answers. I had disclosed to the father of my daughter during our relationship. Now I had to find the right person to help me.
My sister-in-law and I were very close, she was older than me and I trusted her. I sat her down and told my story, as hard as it was to say out loud.
When I was done she replied, “I knew there was something between you and your father.”
My sister-in-law believed me, I had an ally and I finally felt relieved, like a burden had been lifted from my shoulders.
The pedophile near me had been exposed to another person in my life, who was also present in his life, but he did not know this.
My sister-in-law was more than happy to sit with my young daughter while I attended counseling.
Search for Help
Often seeking the services of a clairvoyant I had heard of a lady from a friend and decided to go for a reading for guidance.
This lady will never know she was my savior and the beginning of my journey to this point.
During my reading with her she began to ask about the dreams I had been having over time. Somehow my reading was all about the monster from my childhood. I discovered this lady was a clairvoyant counselor.
I felt comfortable talking to her, and I felt comfortable with the answers she was giving me. So, I decided I would give her a chance to help me. She and I met weekly and I also attended dream workshops she held at her home, in the hope of understanding the messages my subconscious was sending me.
I was still unaware I had experienced a pedophile near me. I had never heard the word pedophile and therefore never knew it’s meaning.
Time to Tell
A few months passed and my counselor advised me I had to disclose to my family to enable me to move forward. I had to tell my mom and three siblings my story and have a discussion with my father. This was a huge step but a necessary step for healing.
I called my family together and we met at my home, minus my father.
I told my story, the story of my childhood. A childhood they were all apart of through it all. My family appeared shocked, but they told me they believed me. My mother also told me she would have done something to help me had she known all those years ago.
I did not reply to her as I knew that was not true, she was not capable of helping me. He had created circumstances that made sure we were trapped in that town with nowhere to go, no-one to turn to. We were the prisoners and he had groomed us for his own protection. Our fear kept us captive and silent.
The Excuse
My mother said she believed it was the medication my father was on for the back pain that had made him do what he did. We all agreed that must have been the case. He was under the influence of a drug which had caused him to do this to me. What other explanation could there be for his despicable actions? I felt relieved that he did not mean to do what he did to me all those years ago, it was the drugs he was taking.
My family gave me the impression they all had my back and I was not alone going forward. Finally, they were all fully informed of my plight and as a consequence was able to understand me better than ever.
The First Step
I later spoke with my sister and informed her of my decision to chat with our father. She insisted she come with him as she was concerned he would be upset after our conversation and worried about his state of mind following our discussion. She wanted to be with him on the drive home afterward.
The Time Had Come
My parents lived out of town and when they visited they stayed with one of our families. The next time they were in town visiting I asked my father to meet with me at my home. I did not give my reason as I did not want him forewarned. We organized an evening visit after the kids were in bed sleeping and we had no interruptions.
My sister accompanied him but did not sit in on our chat, I did not want her involved because her presence would have been a distraction. And I don’t believe he would have been completely honest if she had been present. Assuming, of course, he was going to be completely honest during our conversation. Only time would tell.
Face to Face with the Pedophile Near Me
He and I sat facing each other across the dining table, it felt a bit weird to be honest, sitting opposite my father, knowing the conversation about to unfold. Yet, I remained oblivious to the reference and I did not even consider he was a pedophile. I had never even heard the reference or what it meant. He was my father and he had been prescribed a very powerful drug to assist his pain management, nothing sinister. I was seeking reassurance the only way I knew, face to face asking questions and expecting honest answers.
I asked him if he remembered what had taken place with me all those years ago. He sat leaning on the table with his forearms stretched out and hands clasped in front of him. His eyes fell to his fingers and he began to fidget as he spoke. My father’s response was “I remember something happening with somebody, but, I didn’t remember who.” I said, “Well, it was me, you and me.” He went on to apologize for what had happened and explained the potency of the drugs he was prescribed. Because of the drugs, his memory was fuzzy and he could not remember too much of what had taken place all of those years ago.
I clearly remember at the end of our conversation drawing myself forward in my chair, leaning toward him and stating:
“If you ever touch any of my children I will kill you. Do you understand me?”
His response was to sit back in the chair look into my eyes and say, “I can’t believe you would think I would do anything to hurt my grandchildren.”
Time to Process
It was a weird goodbye as my sister and father left. I had mixed feelings and withdrew contact with my parents for a period of about twelve months. I had to process my feelings and thoughts.
After this time had passed I reconnected with my parents, probably for the sake of my mom. I considered her a wonderful grandmother and my children loved and missed her.
She would come and stay with us without my father to visit with her granddaughters.
Then I guess things just went back to normal and as my daughters grew they would stay with my parents in the country during school holidays.
Circumstances Changed
I divorced the father of my children and as a part of the process, we had to make a contractual agreement regarding his contact with them.
We moved forward with his lawyer writing the contract and both of us coming to an amicable agreement.
The contract had a clause which stated I must not leave the children with my father without the presence of an adult to supervise.
I disclosed my abuse to my husband while we were together and he had willingly joined family gatherings during our marriage. He never questioned me leaving the children with my parents for lengths of time with neither him or me present during our marriage.
We owned a trucking business and I would accompany him on road trips of over seven days at a time. Leaving the children in the care of my parents while we were away.
Not understanding what had changed, apart from the obvious, we had dissolved our marriage.
The Court Process
My ex-husband had a lawyer and I represented myself throughout the Family Court process.
I sought legal advice pertaining to the clause in my ex-husband’s legal contract of adult supervision while the children were around my father.
The lawyer advised me that my mother was adequate adult supervision. As long as my mother was present during visits the contract was being adhered too.
Then my parents moved to the city where I and my siblings resided to be closer to all of us as they age. The girls asked me if they were able to stay with their nan on weekends sometimes, and during school holidays. This was also something my mom was hoping was a possibility as she loved having the girls to stay.
My mother and I had a lengthy conversation pertaining to the access contract I had agreed to with my ex. I informed her I had sought legal advice regarding the adult supervision in the contract.
My mother was adamant she would not leave my daughters alone with my father at any time while they visited and stayed over.
I was totally at ease knowing she was fully aware of the consequences of backlash from my ex-husband if she did not adhere to the contract.
Time Passes
The girls would stay with their grandparents on occasion, usually, my eldest stayed alone. Her younger siblings would go together without their older sister being present. Apart from the rare occasions all three were being babysat by their grandparents if my partner and I went out.
One day my two youngest daughters came to me asking why their big sister could go to nan’s alone and they had to be together. I had no real answer it was just the way it was.
The two youngest girls asked if they could go individually and I spoke with my mom to see if she was ok with this arrangement. My mom was happy for them to come for one on one stayovers, it would give her quality time with them.
I reiterated our discussion regarding the Family Court contract. My mother assured me I had no reason for concern. Promising me she would always be alongside the girls when they stayed with her and their grandfather.
Betrayal
So now I am sitting in a witness box in a courtroom opposite the man who taught me respect, honesty, and integrity, Why?
Because my father lied to me and my mother broke her promise. The consequence of their betrayal was the destruction of three young girls. Their childhoods destroyed by the two significant adults in my life who I loved, trusted and looked up to.
There are those who say, “You need to forgive him and move on.”
Truth is I forgave him for his indiscretion toward me as a child so many years ago.
I ask, “How many times do you forgive someone for the same evil acts?”
My family kept a secret, we made excuses for the pedophile near me and because of that children were damaged, childhoods were cut short and innocence was lost. I called my mother and sister to make a date for them to visit with my girls for their pending birthdays and both of them declined.
“We are not to have any contact with you or the girls in the future.” Were the words they both said to me.
“So three innocent girls are being punished for telling the truth?” Was my reply.
My mother answered with “Tell the girls I love them.”
My sister replied, “Nobody is being punished.”
Those were the last conversations I ever had with my mother and sister. It was my belief a child’s wellbeing is more important than anything. Children do not understand an adult cutting them off.
When we were preparing for court my girls all asked, “Why don’t we see Nan anymore?” “Doesn’t Nan believe me?” “Doesn’t Nan love me anymore?”
I did not answer these questions simply because I did not have the answers for them.
The Loss
All I remember is thinking, if this was my nieces or nephews going through this, I would be there supporting them. After all, they are only young children who were taught to tell the truth. The perpetrator, the adult in this scenario, he made the choice to commit these acts fully aware of the consequences. So why did he deserve the support and understanding?
He committed the crimes and innocent young children were punished in so many ways for his disgusting crimes against them.
Three young girls suffered huge losses for their young ages. Losses they could not comprehend.
They lost their whole family, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and the list goes on. Along with all they were enduring after the disclosure, they also had to endure grief and loss.
I came to the understanding that all of the adults who turned their backs on three young girls at their most traumatic time in life were under the impression, “They are children and they will grow out of it.”
I remembered my mother saying to me at my disclosure to my family a few years earlier, “Why didn’t you say something I would have done something to protect you.”
My instincts were correct as young as I was, I kept it to myself for all of those years because I instinctively knew that was never going to be the case.
With my three girls, she had the opportunity to prove to me that she would have done something and she didn’t.
The Pedophile Near Me
This man, my father, the grandfather of my girls was so brazen that he just kept preying on his family, one after the other. With no remorse for his evil actions.
I did not look at him directly as I sat in the witness box, I did not look directly at my ‘family’ for that time either. I answered the questions asked and I stepped down and left the courtroom. It was all in the hands of twelve strangers, they had to rule on his fate.
It was only then I recognized my father as a pedophile, an evil monster who betrayed four people who trusted him believed in him and loved him.
Twelve strangers found him guilty. I was told later that my mother cried out “No” in court that day knowing full well that he was. That was the day I decided those two people were no longer the mother and father I knew and loved.
I had lost my whole family that day forever, they were all dead to me and the grieving began.
I left the courtroom looking forward and I never looked back because looking back was not an option to me. That was fifteen years ago.
The pedophile near me was in my past.
He was sentenced and I was not present on that day. The jury had found him guilty and that was all I wanted for my girls. Vindication they told the truth and people believed them. Closure in some part for them, those three innocent souls who backed each other and told the truth.
The pedophile near me and them was dealt with and we were free of his hold.
The Aftermath
I remember my girls saying to me a couple of years later, “Grandad didn’t die mom.”
They were right he did not physically die, however, the person he was before he perpetrated those evil acts had in fact died. He now existed with a dark cloud over his head, he was unable to hold his head high and preach about his perfect existence any longer. Not truthfully and that is fact.
The pedophile near me was an evil man and no longer a respected loved father and grandfather, that person was dead.
One-Sided Contact
My sister made contact with my daughters through her own children on Facebook. She managed to lure them back into her life knowing in the back of her mind my girls longed for a connection with their cousins. They were never allowed to speak about what happened in her home as she never told her own children their grandad was a pedophile.
The Warning
My youngest daughter who may have been ten around the time told me she sat at her aunties house one day. She began to speak about the court case and her auntie said, “Do not talk about that in my home.”
My daughter never returned after that day and never has since. It was made obvious at that moment the pedophile near me had somehow managed to maintain his control over those around him. More fool them in my opinion. They had children who were at risk whenever that man was present. They may never have left him alone with them however that would not have made them safe. Pedophiles are sneaky manipulators.
My family continued on with their lives like nothing had happened and nobody ever found out what transpired. The incident was never spoken about amongst themselves or any other family members or their own children or friends, for that matter.
The chapter was closed and the secret continued to be kept.
The Evil Passes Away
Nearly ten years after he was caught out and following much illness the evil passed away.
My family did not want me to know about the funeral arrangements. It is my guess they thought I may turn up and cause a scene. I was not the slightest bit interested in making a fool of myself.
However, it was the best news I had heard for a long time. I honestly felt nothing upon hearing the news of his death. Well, maybe relief. Relief because the pedophile near me was finally physically dead.
I had a cousin who I disclosed to and she was attending his funeral and wanted me to go with her. She felt I needed to have closure and attending the funeral would give me that. I was not at all interested in being with any of those people ever again and adamantly declined. He was dead and that was good enough for me I didn’t need proof just knowing was enough. Although he had been dead to me for ten years, in reality, my reality.
The irony is he had a decent size funeral gathering, including quite a few children. He was spoken about like a model father and citizen by all who attended and he was laid to rest with tears and sadness.
Life Continues On
My girls have faced some tough times over the years since their disclosure. All three have faced trials and tribulations because someone who should have protected them was selfish. Evil to the core.
Their ‘family’ as they knew it shut them down. Warning them never to speak of the atrocity they endured from their grandfather.
They were made to feel somewhat to blame and he was allowed to continue his life as if nothing had happened. The ‘family’ continued to celebrate birthdays, Christmas, Easter all of those family occasions with each other.
As a result of losing our family, I and my three daughters had to begin new traditions and it was not easy. I felt so sad for my girls they deserved to celebrate as they had before all of this had occurred. But each year we became stronger and faced any adversities we encountered the best way possible. We did it together as our own little family gathering others along the way, new chosen family.
My Regrets
I lived with the knowledge I had trusted my parents to keep their word and protect my children. They betrayed my trust and three young children were placed in a situation they should never have had to deal with. As a result, I lived with guilt for many years and it ate away at me daily.
Would They Blame Me
I was worried my girls would blame me and hate me for placing them in danger. Would outsiders think it was my fault because I knew he was evil?
My ex-husband and all of his family certainly did so I guess my family did as well. The consequences of trusting the word of two people I never expected to lie to me of everyone in my life. A lesson learned in the most traumatic way possible.
During a visit to the doctor to seek a referral for my youngest daughter to talk to a counselor my eyes were opened. The doctor asked me if I had experienced my father’s evil, to which I answered “Yes.”
I then told him of the drugs my father had been taking at the time as pain management for an injury. The doctor looked at me and the words he uttered impacted me immensely and I have never forgotten them.
He said, “There isn’t a drug in the world that would make anybody a pedophile.”
This was the moment I realized my family and I had lived in denial for all of those years. Denial had put my children in danger by the belief my father was not responsible for his actions all those years ago. We had all blamed the drugs, the pedophile near me had won.
I had truly believed he would not repeat those actions, particularly with his own grandchildren. He had looked into my eyes and appeared shocked that I would think him capable of abusing them.
My Daughters Are My Life
The pedophile near me had managed to maintain control of my ‘family’, their thoughts and actions supported him. I had broken the hold he had on me and my children and I paid the price.
I am not sad about the consequence of losing my family they showed me their true colors by their own actions. His control was strong he had isolated us and conditioned us by moving us to a small mining town with no immediate family connection.
He was in control from the very beginning and his plan was successful.
I guess he never considered any of us would be strong enough to stand up to him, he was that sure of himself. He knew me as a child, a teenager, and a young adult, but, he never knew me as a mother.
My children are my life, I protected them like a lioness and my father was preying on them. I set my sights on him and I did not give up until his evil had been eradicated from our lives. He paid the price for his evil manipulation and deception. I had killed my father and I had no regrets afterward. He had not counted on that consequence I am absolutely sure of that. His ardent followers, my family had not counted on that either.
I have never regretted fighting all of them not then and not now. My daughters are my life and they needed me in their corner believing them supporting them and fighting for and with them.
Children Become Adults
My girls are now in their twenties and one, the eldest, is a mother herself. I will never doubt that she will protect her child by any means available to her. She was not preyed on by her grandfather but she took a stand when her sisters needed her and the three of them fought as one.
One of my girls disclosed her story a couple of years ago and my sister contacted my eldest daughter as they had maintained a relationship. Until that day my nieces and nephews had never been told of their grandfathers evil and my sister may have been stricken with panic. The truth had been made public after all the years of secrecy. I believe she was seeking support from my eldest daughter for her choice to stay silent.
You see, children become adults and they experience life as adults. My daughter wanted to share her experience in the interest of helping others who may have been in her situation. The consequences were to lose contact with her cousins, my sister’s kids. I assume they were taught denial without actually realizing they had been.
Their Denial
After disclosing my daughter messaged my sister’s daughter, her cousin, a few months ago and the response was quite sad from my perspective. Her cousin called her disrespectful for writing what she had about their grandfather. How dare she say those horrible things about a man they all loved dearly.
My daughter said to her cousin, “He was our grandfather as well you know, and we loved him once.”
The cousin went on to say, “Your mother treats my mom like a disease.”
I found that statement quite disrespectful as my niece only knows her mother’s version of the story. I did try to maintain a relationship with my mother and sister for my daughters, and they chose to cut us off.
So who had really been treated like the disease?
I truly believe my mother, sister, brothers, and their families had continued on with life never expecting to ever hear any words spoken again.
My daughters and I had all stayed silent which helped them retain anonymity.
Pedophile Near Me Exposed
One day their world of denial was made public and those who knew them and also knew me would have had answers to questions they never asked.
The one question that had always haunted my thoughts, “What had my family said about my absence from their lives?” “How had they portrayed me to their children, friends and other relatives?” After all, I was part of their lives to quite a large extent previous to the ‘event’.
I had always surmised whatever they had told them was not favorable to me and I felt great sadness.
Tables Have Turned
The truth was now out in the open and everyone had to deal with it in their own way. Whatever is said has no direct effect on me as I have dealt with every feeling and emotion that emerged throughout the years. As a result of my daughter’s disclosure, it was my families time to face the music and I have no feelings for them what-so-ever for their journey ahead. Whatever the future holds is left to the hands of fate. Everything happens for a reason.
I do wonder how my nieces and nephews will deal with it all as they age because they were never told by their parents.
My eldest daughter has a connection with my sister for whatever her reason she is an adult and has her own life. Her younger sisters no longer have any connection and they have their reasons as well.
I used to feel anger for my family as they tried to come between my daughters and myself with lies and innuendos. However, my girls wisened up realizing their lies were not sustainable and were different each time they told them. Lies are harder to remember as you age.
It Is What It Is
These days I live day to day and accept what comes my way, it is what it is.
The relationships I have with my daughters change as all relationships do and that is okay from my perspective. We live we learn and we grow.
My goal is to be the best grandparent I can be to my grandson. There are no outside influences to come between us. We are able to have an honest relationship as time passes. I will always honor his innocence and respect his right to a happy childhood and memories that will make him smile in years to come.
Though I may not have made the wisest choices in the past I made them with the best intentions. I believe my daughters understand and support those choices now, having the benefit of age and wisdom.
In Conclusion
In conclusion, I remind everyone next time you type the words “Pedophile near me” into your search engine, consider how close they may actually be.
The future impact a pedophile has on a child’s life depends on those around them and the support they have. Children heal to some extent with the knowledge they are believed and they are not alone.
Disclosure will be the hardest part of the whole experience. And having an adult they can trust and move forward with brings comfort.
Don’t despair if you are the parent of an abused child and they do not disclose to you. A pedophile may protect themselves by saying something which a child will never forget. I know the pedophile near me did just that and I never forgot his words, “If you tell your mother it will kill her.” I was eight and I didn’t want my mother to die.
To my youngest daughter, he said, “Don’t tell your mother. Grandad will get into trouble.”
The pedophile near me knew his actions were wrong.
Love and truth conquer all.
Footnote
After a crime is committed and a guilty verdict is reached a sentencing date is set.
The victims of the crime have the opportunity to write a Victim Impact Statement and this statement can be read in court on the day of sentencing. It can be read either by the victim or on the victim’s behalf.
After the trial, I was notified of the jury’s finding of ‘guilty’ by mail. I chose not to attend the sentencing or write a victim impact statement.
The pedophile near me was sentenced to 18 months suspended sentence. Which meant if he committed a similar crime within the following 18 months the pedophile near me would be given a jail term.
Today, after 15 years, and after writing this I have considered what I would write in a Victim Impact Statement.
If you are interested I have written a blog titled ‘Victim Impact Statement’.
Strong Woman
