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Op-Ed
Pedophiles are Predators
by Anon, July 8, 2020
With the arrest of Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein is back in the news. [1],[2] Allegations that for decades, Maxwell obtained underage girls for Epstein and his high-profile guests to exploit—for purposes including blackmail—are widely known. Is blackmail why it took 24 years from the time the FBI knew of the allegations until the arrest? [9] But the problem runs much deeper.
It’s a touchy subject. Adults using children and infants for sexual gratification is a repugnant topic. Let’s not gloss over it: pedophiles are predators. No just society can excuse the predatory behavior of the sexual deviants who term themselves “child lovers” in a vain hope that society will overlook their cruel—and sometimes deadly—abuses. Severe punishment is required so they may no longer harm the most vulnerable among us.
The scope of the problem is uncertain, but according to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, some 800,000 children are reported missing each year in the United States—about 2,000 daily. [3],[4] Estimates vary domestically and internationally, and few reliable statistics are available.[5] We do know that under the Trump administration, law enforcement task forces have increased prosecutions at the state and federal level.[6] The Children’s Bureau estimates that the United States had over 678,000 cases of child abuse—9 per 1,000—in 2018.[7]
Many pedophiles even select careers giving access an endless stream of young victims. These include occupations most would never suspect—clergy, coaches, counselors, teachers, scout leaders—those we have trusted with our kids’ safety.
But what happens to these babies and kids? Where are they now? What happens when they are “used up”–too physically damaged and psychologically traumatized to satisfy adult perverts? You don’t want to know.
Does there really exist a black market for child sex slaves? Is there any truth to the allegations that sometimes Child Protective Services, foster care, and Amber Alerts are accessories to these crimes? Anecdotes abound.
Yet a shocking 2005 study showed that 79% of abusers were children’s own parents, followed by the parent’s unmarried partners. A whopping 40% of child victims (counting all forms of abuse) were abused by their mothers alone, and 17% by both parents. The study found that substance abuse accompanies 70% of child maltreatment cases.[8] Should child abuse prevention efforts focus on solving substance abuse? What about broader social trends that cause dissolution of families?
Parents shouldn’t be complacent. Turning a blind eye or downplaying the problem will not save our children. We all need to become more vigilant.
What is child pornography but depictions of abuse? Both those who create, and those who consume, digital depictions of child sex abuse should be severely punished. Demand for the “genre” has surged with the advent of broadband internet.
Sweeping the problem under the rug hasn’t worked. We need accurate statistics, education, and public awareness. The solution isn’t to normalize perversion, but to prosecute the deviants—both producers and consumers.
We don’t need new laws either. There are plenty of statutes which—if robustly enforced—could quickly end the menace of child sex abuse. We need adequate funding for law enforcement to investigate and prosecute the crimes, a commitment to equal justice, transparency, and harsh sentencing for those found guilty of violating the laws of God and mankind.
Citations
[1] Ghislaine Maxwell arrest: Armed agents, spy planes used to take down Epstein gal pal, https://nypost.com/2020/07/05/ghislaine-maxwell-arrest-spy-planes-armed-agents-used-in-takedown/
[2] DeutscheBank fined $150M for failure to monitor convicted sex offender Epstein’s suspicious payments, https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8498433/Deutsche-Bank-pay-150million-fine-failing-monitor-Jeffrey-Epsteins-suspicious-payments.html
[3] Missing Children in America: Unsolved Cases, ABC News, https://abcnews.go.com/US/missing-children-america-unsolved-cases/story?id=19126967 (2015)
[4] FBI, 2019 NCIC Missing Person and Unidentified Person Statistics, https://www.fbi.gov/file-repository/2019-ncic-missing-person-and-unidentified-person-statistics.pdf/view
[5] International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children, Missing Children’s Statistics, https://globalmissingkids.org/awareness/missing-children-statistics/
[6] FBI's Op. Kick Boxer leads to arrest of distributors, makers of child sex abuse materials, https://fox6now.com/2020/07/06/fbis-op-kick-boxer-leads-to-arrest-of-distributors-makers-of-child-sex-abuse-materials/
[7] Child Abuse Statistics in the United States, https://www.verywellmind.com/child-abuse-statistics-2633350
[8] Who Are the Perpetrators of Child Abuse?, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/somatic-psychology/201105/who-are-the-perpetrators-child-abuse
[9] FBI Knew Of Allegations Against Ghislaine Maxwell As Early As 1996, Accuser Says; It Took 24 Years To Arrest Her, https://dailycaller.com/2020/07/02/fbi-ghislaine-maxwell-jeffrey-epstein-maria-farmer/
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