WDAM.com Laurel-Hattiesburg, MS The Pinebelt's Choice For News, Sports and Weather | Child Predators: How Safe Are *Your* Children? Part II

Child Predators: How Safe Are *Your* Children? Part II

According to the FBI’s National Crime Information Center, every 40 seconds, a child goes missing in the US.  Meaning, in the time it takes for one of our newscasts, about 42 children are put in harm’s way.  Tonight we focus on child pedophiles found within the family, how and why does it happen?

Statistics show 1 and 5 girls and 1 and 10 boys are sexually exploited before they reach adulthood, although more than 65% of those go unreported. 

"It will be a family member, or a friend, maybe a neighbor, but most of the time it's going to be somebody that the child knows," says Lamar County Assistant District Attorney Kathy Sones, who has been prosecuting sex offenders for 16 years. 

Experts believe on reason pedophilia among siblings, spouses, and extended family members may be difficut to spot is because of the trust parents feel towards those they know.  Officials say parents pass that perception along to their kids, teaching them only strangers are dangerous.  Hattiesburg Police Detective Peggy Sealy warns, even family members will tray blaming a sexual encounter on the victim.

"A lot of times a child will not come forward because of....guilt fear, shame, even blackmail.  If someone tries to touch them or make them feel uncomfortable, that the child needs immediately talk to someone whether it may be a school teacher or another family member or a pastor," says Sealy.

Mississippi does strictly enforce sex offender laws, such as Megan’s Law, requiring convicted offenders, those on probation pending sentencing, and those found not guilty by reason of insanity, to register every 90 days with local law enforcement. 

However, there are loopholes.  For instance, Megan’s Law assigns a three tier notification system, which authorities use to assign sex offenders to specific levels based on the threat they pose to the community, with only offenders at tier three being disclosed to the public.  But in a world where repeat offenders are the norm, prosecutors say there is hope…

"If they have a prior conviction, the penalty doubles the next time you're looking at it...and we have that both for statutory rape and for child molestation, or fondling," says Sones.

Former Mississippi State Penitentiary Warden Dr. Don Cabana has his own verdict.

"The mental health professionals would probably disagree with this, but this old warden happens to think there's no cure for pedophelia," says Cabana.  “There's just nothing else to do with them but to lock them up...lock them up the first time, and lock them up for life without parole."

To find out if a convicted sex offenders are registered in your area, log on to the Department of Public Safety’s website at www.sor.mdps.state.ms.us.  Also, if *you’re* a victim, Assistant DA Kathy Sones says there is financial assistance available through the attorney general’s office for help with counseling services, and other out-of-pocket expenses. 

Wednesday night on News Seven we’ll hear from a parent whose child experienced a predator’s pain first hand.