This powerpoint provides an overview of the scope of the problem of the sexual abuse of minors, a profile of child predators and the grooming of their victims, and promotes the necessity of developing laws and sexual predator registries worldwide.

1. Child Protection:
Sexual Abuse
Paul Poore: ppoore@aassa.com

2. Child Protection
Protecting children against
intentional or unintentional
harm to one’s self
and from others

3. Pedophilia: acting upon sexual arousal to
prepubescent children (13 and under)
Hebephilia: acting upon sexual arousal to
post-pubescent children (12-14+)
These conditions cannot be cured!

4. The Scope of the Sexual Abuse Problem
in the U.S.
1 in 4 girls
&
1 in 6 boys
will be sexually abused
by age 18….
That’s one every 10 seconds!

5. Worldwide Statistics
20% of women
&
5-10% of men
are sexually abused as children
Ark of Hope for Children.org

6. 81% of all types of child
abuse is by
parents!

7. Does my country have a
problem with child abuse?
Does my school or community
have a problem with
child abuse?

8. DENIAL!

9. Typology of Child Molesters
Situational
Preferential
…and the continuum between…

10. Situational Offenders
• No true sexual preference and are morally
indiscriminate
– May go after boys or girls
– Do not necessarily have a preference for children
• Tend to be less intelligent and of a lower socioeconomic
status
• They have the opportunity: a child is ‘available’
• They need a sexual encounter
• Impulsive, but they consider risk
• Tend to collect violent adult pornography and have
anger issues
• Situational offenders are easier to protect against
because they make sloppy mistakes

11. Preferential Offenders
• Patterns of preferring sexual encounters with
youth begin in early adolescence
• Tend to be more intelligent and of a higher
socioeconomic status
• Master manipulators
• Compulsive and predatory: Has method to
access children

12. • Fantasy-driven: wholly interested in children
–Obsessively driven by carnal urges to turn
fantasy into reality
–Has many more victims than a situational
offender (120 victims on average)
–Tend to record evidence
–Makes ritual or need-driven mistakes
• Collect child pornography
• Often have a normal adult relationship
(sometimes to gain access to children)
• More difficult to protect against

13. Common Characteristics of a
Preferential Offender
Male
Single
Over 25
Moves frequently
Depend upon an environment of secrecy, silence and denial
Excessive interest in children and dedicated to them
Liked by children
Successful in work life (pillars of the community) and
establishes credibility with people
Believe their actions are loving and caring….
Justify actions by ‘all the good they do’
This could be ANYONE!

14. ‘Stranger Danger’
30+% are family members
60+% are known to the child
Only 5-10% are
strangers!

15. Typical Acquaintance Offenders
Intra-familial (long-term access to the child)
Clergy
Doctor
Policeman
Coach
Boy Scout leader
Neighbor
Teacher

16. Myths
MYTH: They’re known criminals.
Most have no prior criminal history
MYTH: They were sexually abused as children.
Only 21% of online abusers were sexually abused
MYTH: Only ‘lowlife’ become pedophiles.
“Character’ and community standing don’t matter
MYTH: They’re very religious.
Religiosity does not matter
MYTH: He’s too old!
Age does not matter: the drive does not go away…

17. Peer to Peer
In the U.S., 23% of reported cases of
child sexual abuse
are perpetrated by individuals
under 18
The Law:
The person must be at least 16 and at least
5 years older than the ‘child’

18. 5 Stages of Grooming/Seduction
I. Identifying a vulnerable victim
II. Collecting Information on the victim
III.Filling a Need
IV.Lowering Inhibitions Concerning Sexual Matters
--Games that involve getting undressed
--Making sexual comments
--Showing child pornographic images
V. Initiating the abuse

19. Grooming Techniques
• Building an emotional connection to gain a child’s
trust through
–Attention, recognition, affection, kindness,
privileges, gifts, alcohol, drugs or money
–Excessive attention to one child or a small group
–Establishing secrets with a child (especially
something that may get the child in trouble with a
parent)
• The molester invests in the child and fosters guilt
• The child often believes the activity is consensual

20. Common Strategies
Befriending parents to gain access to children
Offering babysitting services
Taking jobs that involve children
Attending or coaching children’s sports
Volunteering in youth organizations, schools,
churches, sports and hobbies
Chaperoning overnight trips
Loitering in places that children frequent
Involved in internet gaming & social communities
Becoming foster parents
--A Profile of the Child Molester

21. “These offenders seduce children much the
same way adults seduce one another.”
(page 27)
“Any child can be groomed by any
reasonably nice adult with interpersonal
skills.”
Child Molesters: A Behavioral Analysis for Professionals
Investigating the Sexual Exploitation of Children,
Kenneth Lanning (FBI), 2010

22. Advice to Parents
“Pay attention if there is somebody who knows
too much about what your children are into.”
“Those who seem to be helping the most, those
who maybe seem to be the most kind, the most
giving, the most willing, the most helpful and
available, are the very ones you need to audit the
most.”
--Dr. Phil

23. Online Groomers
• 80-85% of the internet is in the “Dark Web”
–Tor Network: software guarantees encryption &
anonymity
• Bolder approaches due to online anonymity
• The internet has allowed communities of child
molesters to gather and share pornography online
• The National Center for Missing and Exploited
Children now has over 100 million images!

25. U.S. Statistics on Internet-Based Abuse
13% of youth received unwanted sexual
solicitations online
1/25 received solicitation requesting offline contact
95% of predators told their victims they were older
males seeking sexual relations
The majority met the predator and 93% of those
encounters included sexual contact

26. Why Don’t Children Report?
• They have been carefully groomed and don’t realize
they are being groomed
– Grooming fills their emotional, physical and sexual
needs
– Feel special; like gifts
– They believe they’re in a real relationship
• Sextortion: molester collects information on the child
– Progresses to molester asking them for favors in
order to not expose them
• Guilt

27. Risk Factors in an
Expatriate Community
Social isolation of frequent moves
Absence of traditional, extended family
Social isolation due to lack of language
Cultural norms that prevent discussion and reporting
Lack of laws, enforcement or services in host culture
Lack of policies and procedures in schools
Lack of regular training in schools
DENIAL!

28. Symptoms of Abuse
Sudden behavior changes (secretive)
Regressive behavior for young children
Sexual acting out/promiscuity
Unusual sexual knowledge
Mood swings
Unexplained money or gifts
Suicide/self-harm attempts
Aggressive behavior
High risk of substance abuse
PTSD

29. PTSD Symptoms
Disturbed sleep patterns/nightmares
Regression behavior (bed wetting)
Problems with attentiveness
Change in appetite
Inability to trust others
Involvement in exploitative relationships
Tendency to withdraw
Paranoia or phobias
Damage to self-concept
Higher incidence of emotional disorders & depression

30. Sexual abuse symptoms are the same as
symptoms of depression and PTSD
BUT
Up to 40% of sexually abused children
are asymptomatic

31. Florida Sex Offender
Registry
http://offender.fdle.state.fl.us/offe
nder/Search.jsp

32. Countries Having or Considering a
Sex Offender Registry System
SMART: Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering and Tracking April ‘14
Red: Have laws and registry
Yellow: Considering…..
Argentina
Australia
Bermuda
Canada
France
Germany
Ireland
Jamaica
Jersey
Kenya
Maldives
Malta
Pitcairn Islands
South Africa
South Korea
Taiwan
Trinidad &
Tobago,
United
Kingdom
United States

33. Where are Children
Most Vulnerable?
Sex-trade destinations:
Mexico, Honduras, Costa Rica, Brazil
Thailand, Laos, Philippines, Cambodia
….none of which have a Sex Offender Registry…

34. Now you know…