WHAT MAY SEEM LIKE A CHILD GIVING TROUBLE MAY REALLY BE A CHILD IN TROUBLE

READ THE SIGNS

• son gradually withdraws from social and sports activities
• doesn’t want to go to school
• increased physical complaints, headaches, stomach aches

These were the signs that made one parent very suspicious. On further investigation, the district attorney’s office learned that this 12 year-old boy and several other boys in his class were being sexually abused by their seventh grade teacher. Confrontation of the teacher lead to a confession.

THE TEACHER/OFFENDER

He seemed a pretty normal guy:

• 43 year-old
• married
• 10 year-old daughter
• teaching for sixteen years
• at a prominent co-ed, private school
• popular with the boys
• favored the boys over the girls
• highly critical of the girls’ work 
• would take boys home individually
• for private tutoring
• and fun field trips/vacations

 OUTCOME

• school administrators also suspicious of sexual activities between teacher and students
• but minimized it
• never reported it “not to give the school a bad rep”
• school held liable for failure to report suspected child abuse
• teacher sentenced to 5 years in prison
• required to pay therapy costs for the boys he had victimized

Courtesy FBI Crime Classification Manual