CHILD MOLESTATION
THE
SILENT CRIME
Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office
Deputy Sheriff Mike Garrison
678-513-5880
Child Molestation Facts
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1 in 5 boys will be sexually abused by age 18
1 in 3 girls will be sexually abused by age 18
91% of child sexual assaults involve persons known to the child,
such as a caretaker, or family acquaintance
A child is sexually abused every two minutes
Approx 80% of children who have been molested or raped never tell
anyone of the incident
Only 15% of all child sexual abuse cases are ever reported to
authorities
5% of those will never get to court, and 50% of those children will
be returned to the alleged abuser
Typical offender is male and begins molesting at age 15 with an
average of 117 victims; most of whom do NOT report the offense
More than one half of all convicted sex offenders are sent back to
prison within one year of getting out and after 2 years 77.9% are
back
One in ten homes are involved in child sexual abuse
Forsyth County
IN 2006 THERE WERE 100 CASES OF CHILD
MOLESTATION REPORTED TO THE SHERIFF’S
OFFICE
 BASED ON A REPORT FROM MOTHERS AGAINST
SEXUAL ABUSE ONLY 15% OF SEXUAL ABUSE
CASES ARE REPORTED TO AUTHORITIES
 THAT MEANS THERE IS AN ESTIMATED 700
CASES EACH YEAR IN FORSYTH COUNTY.
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The Law and Child Molestation 16-4-4
• Anyone who commits any immoral or indecent act to or
in the presence of or with a child under the age of 16 to
arouse or satisfy the sexual desires of either the child or
the person.
• A person convicted of a first offense of Child Molestation
shall:
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Be punishable by imprisonment for not less than 5 nor more
than 20 years
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The judge has the power to probate the sentence upon special
conditions
• A person convicted of a second offense of Child
Molestation shall:
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Be punished by imprisonment for not less than 10 years nor
more than 30 years
The Law and Aggravated Child
Molestation 16-4-4 (C)
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A person commits the offense of Aggravated Child Molestation when
they commit an offense of Child Molestation which physically injures the
child or involves an act of sodomy
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A person convicted of Aggravated Child Molestation shall be punished by
imprisonment for not less than 10 years and nor more than 30 years
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The court sentencing a person who has been convicted of a first offense
when the victim is 16 years or younger, it is authorized to require,
before sentencing, that the defendant undergo psychiatric evaluation to
ascertain whether or not chemical treatment would be effective in
changing the defendants behavior. If it is determined by a qualified
mental heath professional that the treatment would be effective, the
court may require as a condition of probation to undergo such treatment
Statistics Describing a Pedophile
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97 % are male
91 % are heterosexual
91% are religious
75% are married or formerly married
73% are Caucasian
65% earn a middle income or above
48% are college educated
Stepfathers are 7 times more likely to abuse
than biological fathers, however biological
parents tend to be more severe.
The Molester is typically not a stranger.
Over 91% of children are molested by a
family acquaintance, or family member.
Contrary to belief, only 30-35% of
molesters were sexually molested as
children
Characteristics of a Pedophile
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Usually Male
Frequently hard working
Appears to be family oriented
Seem to like kids
Will go out of their way to be around kids
Prefer company of kids to adults
They do not hesitate to spend money on kids
They tend to be well liked by both adults and kids
They pretend to be nice to single moms and try to
cultivate a relationship with them to get to the child.
How do Pedophiles Operate
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The technique that a Pedophile uses to
molest a child is call “Grooming the child”
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A pedophile will spend sometimes up to
two years “grooming” in an effort to build
on the child's trust and prepare a child.
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Pedophiles prefer targeting children
whose fathers are no longer in their lives.
They will become friends with single
moms to gain access to their children.
Grooming a Child
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The pedophile’s first objective will be to build the child's trust in him
and get the child to see him as their best friend.
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He will take the child he is grooming to many places such a movies,
parks, skating rinks etc. and will invest as much money as possible
buying toys, clothes, or trinkets for the child.
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He will slowly seduce the child by doing such things as playing close
to the child, tickle the child, watch TV or movie and sit very close to
the child often putting his arm around them, and have the child sit
on his lap.
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Pedophiles will often take pictures or take movies of their potential
victims. They often will end up on the internet.
( The child is unaware of the pedophiles true intentions, and often
really cares for the him, and believes that they can talk to him about
anything. In essence he becomes the father figure in the child's
life.)
Grooming a Child Cont.
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Pedophile’s love it when they can get the child's
email address. This way he can communicate
with the child without the parent (s) knowing it.
(The internet has become the tool of choice for may
pedophiles to gain access to children…Parents beware of
who your child is communicating with!!)
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Once the pedophile feels he has gained both trust
and control of the child, he will begin to do such
actions as kissing and touching the child.
The child will often feel confused by this behavior,
and they often think the perpetrator is simply just
being nice to them.
At the same time the child feels guilty, confused
and ashamed.
Grooming a Child Cont.
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The pedophile will use the confused emotions from his
victims to keep the him/her from telling what has
happened.
They will use shame, fear, and threats of physical harm to
make sure the child does not inform the parents such as:
“How would your mother feel if she knew you did this”
“You started it, remember you came to me”
“If your mom found out she might commit suicide”
“If you tell your mom, I will kill you, and her”
Signs to Look For in Your Child
CAUTION: Beware of over-zealous identification
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Disclosure by child (very rare)
Sexual acting out with other children
Bedwetting and soiling (after potty training)
Nightmares
Abrupt change in behavior (anger, isolation, withdrawal)
Age-inappropriate knowledge of sex
Constantly talks about sex
Constant vaginal discharge
Bleeding in vagina or anal area
Physical evidence (very rare)
Venereal disease
Difficulty walking or sitting
Sleeps too much or too little
Depression, crying over insignificant matters
Fear of the bathroom
Fear of a certain person
Exhibiting violent behavior
Wearing many layers of clothing
What steps to take if you suspect your
child has been sexually abused
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If your child does not provide an “out cry”, and
you think that he/she has been molested, then
take the child to licensed
psychologist/psychiatrist that specializes in this
field.
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If your child provides an “out cry” within your
presence or after a meeting with a trained
professional, then contact the Forsyth County
Sheriff’s Office and report it.
Steps Taken when an out cry is made
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Contact the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office and report
the incident.
A Patrol Officer will come to your home and take a
report, and then contact SVU.
– The officer will not question the child.
– The officer will make sure that the child will not be in
a position to have any additional harm done to them.
The Parent/Guardian should not continue to question the
child after an out cry is made. The parent should
provide the child with assurance that they did the right
thing, that everything will be OK, and it is NOT their
fault.
SVU Investigator will meet with the parent/guardian and
the child to gain additional information for the
investigation.
SVU will contact both DFACS (Department of Family and
Children Services), and the Child Advocacy Center and
advise them of the case.
Steps Taken when an “out cry” is
made Cont.
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A forensic interview is set up with the Child Advocacy
Center
– The interview is a certified licensed professional counselor, that has
many years of experience in this field
– The interview is conducted in a non intrusive, non interrogating
manner.
– The interview room is set up to look like a play room to make the
child comfortable.
– The interview is video taped, with Law enforcement, DFACS, and a
member from the District Attorneys Office watching on a monitor.
(The parent/guardian does not observe the interview).
– The child is asked open ended questions, and the interviewer is
aided with anatomically correct dolls.
– Half way through the interview the interviewer will stop and talk to
various people monitoring the interview to see if they need any
additional information from the child.
Steps Taken when an “out cry”
is made Cont.
A successful Forensic interview with the
child is our best bet to successfully
prosecute a predator!
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