It Takes a Village to prevent child abuse
DPD Officer Sharon Blakney Photos by Samantha Lyles
By Samantha Lyles, Staff Writer, slyles@newsandpress.net
The Darlington Police Department, Darlington County Sheriff’s Office, and the Pee Dee Coalition Durant Children’s Center teamed up last week to offer an educative evening centered on child sexual abuse prevention, detection, and prosecution. The “It Takes a Village” program offered insight into the persistent problem of sexual exploitation of minors, and gave law enforcement officers and counselors a chance to share stories, insights and strategies with the public.
The presentation by DPD Officer Sharon Blakney, DCSO Investigator Patricia White-Ray, and forensic interviewer Gloria Davis pulled no punches, with topics of discussion ranging from adult offenders sexually assaulting young children to the trend of teens sending each other sexually explicit ‘selfies’.
White-Ray said she is dealing with an increasing number of reports involving minors disseminating explicit photos through social media, most of which she tries to deal with by involving their parents in an open discussion of this behavior with trained counselors.
“I try not to send a lot of that stuff to DJJ (Department of Juvenile Justice) unless it was intentionally, maliciously done,” said White-Ray.
DCSO Investigator Patricia White-Ray
Photo by Samantha Lyles
Social media also presents multiple opportunities for sexual predators seeking to deceive and lure young victims, and the officers suggested close parental supervision of children’s Internet usage.
“(Kids are) going online and meeting people who say “send me a picture, I want to see what you look like.” And that person might be a 60 year-old man posing as an 18 year-old in their profile… and these kids are sending out pictures of themselves,” warned White-Ray.
Blakney outlined the varying degrees of criminal sexual misconduct and the accompanying penalties, which include mandatory minimum 25-year sentences for CSC First Degree convictions and lifetime requirements to register as a sex offender for all CSC offenders – sometimes accompanied by constant GPS monitoring by law enforcement.
She also discussed the legal obligation some professions have to report suspected child sexual abuse, and the criminal penalties faced by those who fail to do so. These mandatory reporters are often in professions which offer unique access and perspective, such as teachers, day care workers, doctors and dentists, undertakers, film processors, and computer technicians. If a mandatory reporter learns of potential sexual abuse of a minor and fails to notify law enforcement or the Department of Social Services, they could be arrested and face penalties of 6 months in prison and/or a $500 fine.
Davis said the best way to combat child abuse is by taking a stand and reporting suspected abusers immediately. The panel noted that in South Carolina, when a report of child abuse is made with malicious intent, the reporter can be prosecuted and fined up to $5000 and imprisoned for up to 90 days. But if a report is made in good faith, the reporter is shielded from legal and civil liability even if no abuse is discovered.
“We need to stop turning our heads from what we see and hear. We need to report it,” said Davis. “It doesn’t matter if you are clergy or law enforcement – if you suspect something, you need to report it.”
Davis suggested a shift in the way parents talk to their kids about sexuality, advising that kids be taught the proper anatomical names for their body parts instead of relying on vague euphemisms. She also warned that the old “stranger danger” way of thinking ignores the very real possibility of sexual predators within a family or circle of friends.
“It’s not about strangers anymore. (Predators) can be in your house, can be your neighbor, your Sunday School teacher,” said Davis. “Most kids we see, it’s not a stranger, it’s somebody’s mother’s boyfriend or somebody they know.”
Davis said the Pee Dee Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Assault offers a program that teaches schoolkids what constitutes a “safe touch” and what to do when an adult – whether a stranger or a family member – touches their body in a way that makes them feel unsafe.
The panelists all agreed that more education and open discussion on this subject is needed, and more community members should take a stand against child sexual abuse.
“As parents, we tell our children there’s no such thing as monsters. However, I can show you a book full of them. There are 168 sex offenders in Darlington County, and at least 10 living right here in the City of Darlington,” said Chief Danny Watson of the Darlington Police Department. “If we can’t protect our smallest charges, our children, who can we protect? If you’re ever going to get angry about something, be driven about something, it should be to protect our children.”
City of Darlington Police Chief Danny Watson
Photo by Samantha Lyles
To learn more, contact Gloria Davis at (843) 664-4357 gdavis@peedeecoalition.org, or call the Darlington Police Department at (843) 398-4026.
