Average Numbers of Victims per Molester (rev)

by Amazing 16 Replies latest watchtower child-abuse

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  Mommie Dark

  "For every victim stepping forward there are a good number, in fact as the attorney told me, a major number of about 90% who will not step forward. Why? Because they are ashamed and do not want to be identified. They do not want to re-live the emotional pain and suffering by facing the accused in court. They do not hear about the trial until it is too late to make a claim. Other victims just want to move on and forget what happened. Some victims, while wanting to participate, are satisfied that the molester got caught, and feel no need to join in further action."

  One big reason some folks never step forward is the pervasive blame-the-victim mentality, especially among JWs. When I finally broke the code of silence and told my family about our father, my oldest sister came forward and admitted that she had been his victim right up until she married (and that's when he started in on me...). As we compared notes, we found we had both internalized the blame for his behavior... and it never occurred to either of us to tell an elder. we KNEW we would be blamed, shamed, have to recount every detail. When an elderly 'anointed' elder molested her, she kept quiet, same reason.

  Being ignorant, it never occurred to either of us that our silence might permit them to victimize others. We thought WE were somehow attracting the attention, and redoubled efforts to be as unobtrusive and untouchable as possible. The notion that these pervs deserved punishment never entered our minds. The notion that Dad might prey on others never entered my mind. It horrified me when I found out that not only did he have a history of molesting my sister, but other relatives knew about it and kept quiet too, out of some twisted family pride, and, knowing he had transferred his attentions to me, continued to keep the silence until I outed him twenty years later. And then after I did speak out, we found that dear old Dad had molested at least two of his granddaughters, too.

  It takes more courage than I will ever have to go public and take a perv to court. I salute those who have displayed that courage. I especially salute those who have suffered at the hands of self-righteous judgmental twits who have no clue at all of what the victims went through.
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  Amazing

  To MommyDark and Pathofthorns:

  First MommyDark: Excellent post and your response makes the exact nature of the case of what happens to victims, and what is known about family reactions, and what is now known about molesters. I hope you will read my comments to Pathofthorns, and see if you agree with my points:

  Hi Pathofthorns: You made some interesting comments, but I have to disagree with you. Let's look at what you noted:

  "I find the 300 number to be unrealistic as well. The only way such a number would be possible would be to define "molesting" to include something as simple as brushing past a child in a crowd in an inappropriate way."

  No, the number 300 is not unrealistic, it is just hard to fathom. In an above comment, Larc said that to reach 300 victims, a molester would have to engages in molestaton once (1) per month for 25 years before getting caught.

  First the number 300 is an average, and I think it is close to 'mean' average, which is significant important. Also, the notion that a molester only victimizes once a month is unrealistic. These men are very sick emotionally and mentally. They often victimize several in one night, or in one week. The molester in my Justice #16, Part one had so many victims in just a few shorts years that he could not recall them all ... after he was able to name several dozen.

  Second, molestation is reasonably and clearly defined in the laws of the states and by mental health professionals that 'brushing' would never have to be used to broaden the number of victims. These molesters do just about everything that can be done and more in a sexual way with their victims.

  You continued,

  I think the common perception of what constitutes "molestation" is generally percieved as something more than that.

  Yes, molestation involves anything from sexual intercourse to fondeling, oral and anal coupulation, etc. More serious than brushing.

  You continued,

  "In order for your survey to have any sort of percieved credibility you need to be more conservative and realistic. I would say that 5-10 victims sounds more plausible and that may be more or less depending on how long before the molester is caught."

  Absolutely not. 5-10 victims are about all that will ever step forward. And, all my posts on this topic have made clear that I was not hanging my hat on 300+ that the attorney uses. I used his numbers because he was very adamant, and because it represents a baseline that was more credible than anything else I have found.

  Now, let's use 10, instead of 300. We take 5,050 JW molesters, and we get 50,000+ victims. Does this make us feel better? That was my point in all my posts on this. I even took the number down to just 15,000 or so. The number 300 is hard to grasp, as I have admitted, but, I can say that none of the credible data that you will find will ever go as low as 5 or 10 victims ... but will stay around 100 victims.

  Remember too, I did not just invent the number 300. I did not select it from an embellish conspiracy-oriented website. I got it from an attorney who is successful in prosecuting such cases against molesters. It is a number that has to stand the test of challenge from the defence. Therefore, with respect to ths attorney who prosecutes such cases in several states, the number stands.

  I am personally more inclined to believe 100 to 150 victims. But that is not because I have any data, but because of the molesters I have been exposed to have acknowledged such numbers.

  One of my Justice posts early on, the molester was arrested for molesting his two daughters. He was a JW and MS at one time. He molested his daughters for years. It turned out after his arrest that he was part of a satanic pedophile ring, and had many dozens or more of victims over a 7 to 10 year period. - Amazing
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  waiting

  Hey Amazing,

  One of my Justice posts early on, the molester was arrested for molesting his two daughters. He was a JW and MS at one time. He molested his daughters for years. It turned out after his arrest that he was part of a satanic pedophile ring, and had many dozens or more of victims over a 7 to 10 year period. Amazing

  If you can, I would be immensely interested in seeing your post on that particular child molester. Also, was the satanic pedophile ring ever brought to court - as in proven crimes?

  Since you brought it up - may I ask for a reprint with any pertinent background?

  Sincerely thanking you in advance,

  waiting
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  JanH

  Sorry, these numbers seems totally absurd. They fail even the most basic sanity check. Surely, there are a large number of "occasional molesters" who do it once or twice and never again, and even more who do it over a longer time with one or some very few victims. The classic predator who seeks out strangers to abuse is not the typical molestor. The fact that most victims were criminalized by a relative (or, not unausually, a step-parent) is evidence for this. People only have so many relatives.

  PS to Amazing: Your "satanic pedophile ring" story is similar to a dangerous urban legend, connected to various media scares in the 70s and 80s, that later proved to be unfounded. See e.g. http://www.religioustolerance.org/urbanft.htm

  - Jan
  --
  Faith, n. Belief without evidence in what is told by one who speaks without knowledge, of things without parallel. [Ambrose Bierce, The Devil´s Dictionary, 1911]
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  joelbear

  I have been skeptical about the number of molestation claims being put forth by posters on this board.

  Then, a few days ago, I got an email from someone who was the daughter in law of one of the respected elders in the congregation where I grew up. She said he had molested his daughters and several of his grandchildren and that the other elders knew about it. I have no way of knowing whether she was telling the truth or not, but I am inclined to think she is. If so, basically all those I had respect for as a youngster share in this massive sin.

  She ran across my web page completely by accident and has nothing in common with me other than our common place of residence. I emailed by sympathy back to her but never heard back from her. Maybe it was too painful for her to dwell upon.

  Anyway, hearing that this happened at least once in my home congregation certainly made me less skeptical.

  As I have said here before, I think pedophilia and child molestation are the most heinous of acts since they can lead to a lifetime of emotional self torture for the victim.
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  Amazing

  The following was separately posted to JanH. I have posted it here for those of you who may revisit this posting, but miss my post to JanH. I edited it to add quoted material and some additional comments. Here is one source that I find important and bonafide. You can go to: http://www.crimelibrary.com/serial/pedophiles/5.htm

  The above website states in its first section, second chapter:

  "The second classification of sexual offender is defined as a preferential child molester. These offenders have a sexual preference for children and usually maintain these desires throughout their lives. Preferential child molesters can have an astounding number of victims and these crimes can remain undiscovered for many years. In 1995, a child molestation case in Texas caused a national uproar when the suspect was due to be released from prison after serving a 6 year sentence for the rape of a six-year-old boy. He told the police that he got away with abusing over 240 children before getting caught for molesting a single child and if released, would do it again[2]. One long-term study of hundreds of sex offenders found that the pedophile child molester committed an average of 281 acts with 150 partners. These types of offenders wreak havoc upon society far out of proportion to their numbers.

  The preferential child molester exhibits distinct patterns of behavior that are common among his kind. They will seduce children, as we will see later, by buying gifts and appealing to their emotional weakness. This requires the offender to develop a friendship with the child or utilize an existing relationship with the victim. In over 90% of the rapes of children less than 12 years old, the offender knew the victim (U.S. Department of Justice)."

  The last sentance seems to suggest to me that 90% of the offenders are of the 'Preferential' type, and thus fall into the averages of having 150 victims. Here is an important point made on that web site: Of the 'Preferential' pedophiles, they will have an average of 150 victims, and 281 acts. Thus they may only have sex once to twice on average with the same victim. This suggests that they like to move on from one victim to another. In one Texas case, the convicted man admitted to molesting 240 victims. This last case seems to at least show that the number the attorney gave me is not really absurd.

  Important: The above web site was created by the Polly Glass Foundation. I think my oldest daughter, who posts here, may have met Polly. When this case happened we had already moved north to Oregon. So, we were very interested in this case given my children knew or knew of the particular child who was molested and murdered.

  Here are some additional recommended sites:

  www.childlures.com is a program that informs children, parents and educators of safety issues regarding children and adults and also offers an Internet safety pact that your child can read and sign.

  www.cyberangels.org, promotes child safety and abuse prevention methods.

  www.enough.org is a website that warns adults and children of the threat of pornography on the web.

  www.pedowatch.org is one of the oldest web sites in existence that works in conjunction with law enforcement to combat pornography and child seducing on the Internet.

  www.prevent-abuse-now.com, is the home for Inside Pandora’s Box, a wealth of information regarding children and Internet access.

  www.troopers.state.ny.us, is the home for the Internet Crimes

  Amazing
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  Tanalyst

  Child Abuse: opposing viewpoints/Jennifer A. Hurley book editor 1999

  page 128 " adult sex offenders report an average of 23 child victims"

  on another note, concerning Catholic coverups of priests sexual abuse,

  page 51,"Other religions may also be at fault for coverups.For example one clinician wrote of a Jehovah's Witness congregation's response to her male client's charges of sexual abuse against their minister:"Victim aware that revealing sexual abuse by minister would likely (and did) result in 'disfellowship,' isolation from all significant others, due to his 'lie'"