SafeLibraries.org - Are Children Safe in Public Libraries?
Contact me to get on or off my library crime ping list.
Also see SafeLibraries Blog.
Contact me to get on or off my library crime ping list.
Also see SafeLibraries Blog.
Posted on 02/02/2009 10:00:54 PM PST by Brytani
NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — A convicted sex offender pleaded guilty Monday to raping a 6-year-old boy at a Massachusetts public library last year while he was on probation.
Corey Deen Saunders, 27, entered the plea Monday to child rape and related charges. He was arrested Jan. 30, 2008, after luring the boy to the magazine stacks in the New Bedford library while the child's mother worked on a computer just a few feet away.
At a court hearing last year, prosecutors played a videotaped interview in which the boy told a child welfare official the assault was like being attacked by a "T-rex and an alligator."
At the time, Saunders was on probation after serving four years in prison for the attempted rape of a 7-year-old boy................
Saunders' defense attorney, Alan Zwirblis, recommended a shorter sentence, including probation. The judge did not immediately set a sentencing date but asked both sides to submit written arguments by Feb. 17.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Our little local library is very small and does not have much in the way of secluded places.
In our town, where everyone knows everyone else, there’s very little chance of something like that happening. If there were strangers in the library, the librarians would know immediately and there are no homeless. No services and nowhere for them to hang out.
What’s to decide?!?!?!?! For GOD’s SAKE!!!!
HORRIFIC.
Thanks for the ping.
We live in the suburbs, and the library we prefer seems safe, too. It’s one large room, and the librarians and security guard pay close attention. But I guess we can’t be too careful. I tend to leave my children together in the children’s section - the eldest is 13 - and walk across the room to look for books for homeschooling. I’m right across the room, and they’re together, but maybe that’s not safe enough... I’m shocked at this story. If this pervert was this bold, who knows what others might try.
Barry is working hard to make that the case for the entire country.
Nice list idea. Ping me, please.
Predatory sex offenders who rape unattended children in public libraries is an aborration and VERY rare. We always need perspective.
That said, this is one of the biggest reasons I NEVER leave my children alone in public places, even though my children are 15, 12, 11, and 7 years old and I’ve taught them how to handle unwanted advances from adults. My children are all quite innocent and vulnerable, and until they could ward off an attacker, I am wholly responsible to keep them safe. We do buddy systems for all public bathrooms, and my youngest two boys always use the ladies’ room, accompanied by one of their older siblings. I don’t care WHAT other parents say to me either in comments or by their facial expressions. Being accused of being over-protective is a good thing in the world we live in.
Public schooled parents don’t have a clue what they’re risking, not just by sending them to schoool, but allowing overnights and dropping off children / teens at malls. It is impossible to reason with or argue with parents who are not tuned into their children, and who make everything else (career, relationships, entertainment) the priority.
Why is it a big mystery that children kill each other, that bullying is rampant in schools, and that so many children are suicidal or are vulernable to internet wackos? Are we brain damaged, or can’t we (as parents) connect the dots?
I know — this is old-fashioned to want to keep your children away from harm and the ways of the world. I can take the heat.....my children’s lives and souls are worth any heartache or criticism you can dish out.
When my kids were just toddlers, I was in the church nursery and we were talking about being being careful about who we leave our kids with.
There was a mother there who had been molested as a young girl and she told me to NEVER let anyone talk me out of being careful with my kids by accusing me of being over protective, that I should be that, and protect my kids from what she went through.
Her opinion is that you cannot be careful enough with kids, even in your own family (which was her situation- a cousin)
I always appreciated what she told me. I sure enough faced plenty of people who would blow off my concern about my kids and that lady's little talk always gave me the strength to stand my ground. There's nothing like hearing it from someone who has been there. Those who think you're over-protective never have.
Dontcha just love how everyone has an opinion on the best way for YOU to raise your own children? And they don't make suggestions, they TELL you.
I thought that this would be of interest to the homeschool ping list. I know homeschoolers use public libraries a lot so I thought you might be interested in this ping list as well.
Not true, a dose of high velocity lead poisoning works, and works well. works every time.
This infuriates me. Innocence lost. Now we have a president who will appoint more judges of his ilk.
I grew up in Hollywood Florida. Adam Walsh was kidnapped and murdered from the same Sears store my friends and I hung around. We checked out the same exact Nintendo game he played with. I was 17. It was a horrifying experience for our entire community. Pedophiles have always been around. There was a time when it was shameful to purchase porn, it was hidden in the store.
Now anything goes. It is accessible to ANYONE. It was bad then, but much worse now. The internet is a h@#$ hole. My kids have it bad. I won’t let them out of my sight. If they need too much freedom, then they must be doing something wrong anyway.
I find it very sad to admit our entire government, on both sides of the aisle, are as corrupt as humanly possible.
As long as the usurper is in the White House and his say or signature is accepted as legitimate by any elected official I have no doubts he could appoint Osama Bin Laden as Sec. of Defense and nobody would do a damned thing about it.
As for the judges in Mass, all I can say is this - we receive the government and representation we vote for. In many ways, we get what we deserve.
We have too many judges who have forgotten their responsibility is to protect the public from criminals. They know research bears out that pedophiles can NOT be rehabilitated yet all too many would rather place another child’s life in danger then admit their experiment in redemptive sentencing has failed.
I have not studied the laws of Mass but anyone who has - can the public force the recall of a state judge or does that need to come from the legislature?
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