Tuesday, April 08, 2008

Child Predators

I have been outraged and sickened by the death of a little girl in Salt Lake City this week. The autospy report shows that she was brutally beaten and raped before being strangled to death. Local law enforcement is upset and has vowed to do everything in their power to get her killer put away forever, if not executed.

Her killer was a friend of her family.

She was seven years old.

There exists a subculture in our society of persons who find nothing wrong with the fact that they find children sexually attractive. I must point out in no uncertain terms that there is something sick and evil about being attracted to children. There is nothing normal about it. It's not the same thing as liking blondes or wanting to date only people who are under six feet tall. Children are not eligible for romantic relationships, period. If you have sexual feelings toward a child, you need to get yourself into therapy, now. This is a sickness. Do not seek to justify yourself. There is no justification. You need help.

19 comments:

Unknown said...

I'm with you every step of the way on this one, Tristi. Children are so precious. Thinking of that child's pain is heart searing.

Jennifer @ Fruit of My Hands said...

Hear hear. That poor baby.

I support the death penalty for people who sexually abuse children.

Danyelle Ferguson said...

As a victim of abuse who then turned around and trained as a child counselor for my local women's shelter, I totally 100% agree with you. Thank you for your post.

Cindy Beck, author said...

Tristi,
It's so sad about that poor little girl. I hope they catch the perps. To do something like that to a child requires a great deal of evil in a person's soul.

Marta O. Smith said...

Tristi, I disagree on only one point. The killer was NOT a friend of the family. He was only pretending. The killer was actually a predator, an animal circling patiently, waiting for a child to be unprotected long enough for him to pounce.

Karlene said...

I totally agree!

Several years ago, I was involved in a child sexual abuse case when a neighbor child told me what her father had done to her. I was scheduled to testify when the perpetrator pled guilty. (He said that he was really innocent but pled guilty to a lesser charge so as not to "ruin" his life.) He ended up getting two years. TWO YEARS!? He would have gotten more time if he'd abused a dog!

I hope the DA stays tough on this guy.

Autumn Ables said...

I want to throw up. I am so sad. This OUTRAGES me to no end!!!!!!!!!!!!

Holly (2 Kids and Tired) said...

I couldn't agree more. Well said Tristi.

Love the new look by the way.

Keeley said...

Everyday when I turn on the computer and the yahoo news comes up, there's almost always a story about someone badly hurting a child. It fills me with horror. It tears my heart.

I find this kind of pollution worse than any other environmental pollution out there. It seems to be everywhere. I pray to the Lord "please come quickly, so no more little children will be hurt...please." It's so heartbreaking.

Tristi Pinkston said...

Marta,

Your comment perfectly illustrated what I was trying to say -- this wasn't a random crime committed by a stranger. This was perpetrated by someone they thought they could trust who turned out to be a wolf.

We can't just assume that our children are safe, ever.

Ronda Gibb Hinrichsen said...

Woa! Way to take a stand, Tristi. And not only take a stand, but to announce that stand to the world. What an awesome post. And yes, I totally agree with you and all those who've commented!

Paul W. West, Author said...

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Luisa Perkins said...

Oh! How awful. You're so right.

Dallas Meow said...

I am so sad to hear this - it is always sickening. Any abuse of a child sickens me really - God's precious little gifts to love and cherish.
Glad only for Heavenly Father's plan that will bring her peace and salvation in the celestial kingdom and that her family will be reunited with her in the world to come.
We surely do need to do more than slap the wrist of these offenders though.

Laurie said...

I have a little brother in law, he's actually 17, who molested my daughters this last summer. After denying it, the judge forced him to take a polygraph test. The results showed that no only was he guilty but that he is attracted to prepubescence girls and he still enjoys thinking about what he did to my daughters. I about puke everytime I think of it. His family is still fighting all charges saying he is a good boy and they will take care of it on their own. Even the courts are saying, it's his first offense. He'll do counseling and in a couple years his record will be wiped clean. No one will ever know. I want to scream from my rooftop that he is dangerous. I believe in repentance but don't we have the right to protect our children from preditors like this? This has been the hardest challenge I have ever faced as a mother. It's about killed me. I can't imagine if it would have resulted in murder. He did threaten my children though that something bad would happen if he told. My daughters therapist says, he'll do what's ordered this time but next time, he'll pick a child who can't speak, whether it's an infant or just murdering the child so they can't talk. I agree, this is not a normal attraction. And it makes me angry. I want to tell everyone I know to trust no one!!!! Ever!!! Mine happened in my own house while I was asleep in the room next to where his own mother was sleeping. Trust your instincts. I had feelings of suspicion towards him before hand but everyone else liked him so I went with the flow. Hard lesson to learn.

Okay, this was long. Sorry! I just get carried away on this subject.

Tristi Pinkston said...

I am so, so sorry to hear this, Mom2. The thing your in-laws need to realize is that once a person like this perpetrates, their chances of recovering are very slight. You can't just deal with it on your own. It is an actual disease. You have to get yourself some help before you start acting on it. They've interviewed pedophiles in jail and every one of them said that if they were to be freed that day, they would go right back out and perpetrate. I truly hope that your in-laws get wise -- they're not helping their son. The best thing they can do to help him is to turn him in, get him locked up, and help him realize that he needs help.

ali cross said...

There can be no leniency for bad guys who hurt children. I'm totally with you.

Carrie and Troy Keiser said...

Amen! My heart hurts for Mom2my6kids!

Sandra said...

The fight against pornography and child predators is pretty much my fight and one of the reasons I chose psychology as a major. We should all find a spot and volunteer our time to eradicate the part of our culture that turns the other way when this is happening. We can and we Must stop it and protect these innocent victims of perversion.

Hmm, I think I feel a future blog post about ways to volunteer coming on.

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