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Secret shame: Therapy helps child deal with 'the bad touches'

Disturbing. It's difficult not to emotional while reading this. So many victims and so much pain, I don't know if I can let my five-year-old out of my sight.

This series is so heart-wrenching. But, like with Lexi, the more we get this out in the open, the better we can deal with it. Damn us if we don't do everything we can to protect our children.

And thanks to social workers, judges, law enforcement, therapists, lawmakers, and parents who work to help these children recover their lives.

What courage it took for this little girl to share her story. People need to understand that teenagers do perpetrate on children, especially if they have gotten into pornography. Parents, do not leave children (boys or girls) alone with teenaged cousins, brothers or uncles. Make sure that they are supervised at a friends house if there are teenaged brothers (and sometimes sisters) in the house. Don't be paranoid, but do be careful and watchful. Most teenaged sex offenders are "good" kids and don't usually have other problems that are obvious. And being religious does not necessarily make a difference either. Just be wise and know that it can happen to anyone. And Grandparents need to be aware too--it can and does happen at family get-togethers and can destroy families. If it does happen, call the police. They are well equiped to get the help needed for the perpetrator and the victim. Don't "sweep it under the rug" or handle within the family or neighborhood. It doesn't work and you are legally obligated to report it anyway. Just be informed and careful.

Lexi, you are so brave! I am a mom with little kids and I am going to tell them how you did all the right things, like going to the police and yelling stop. You are a hero!

Being a parent of young children, this story was hard to read. I was raised by vigilant parents, for which I am eternally grateful. Parents need to raise their awareness and not be so concerned if others think they are being "paranoid" about reasonable things - that is often one of the tools of manipulation employed by offenders. When we moved into our current house one of our neighbors almost forcefully told me that I should send my daughter regularly over to their house to play on their swing set, etc. There have been signs since that something is amiss in their home, and needless to say my children have not gone over there to play. We as parents need to be aware of where are children are and who is around them and not buy into the garbage that this is being "paranoid"! If we don't want our kids playing at someone's house, that is not the neighbor, uncle, or friend's decision.

You are a wise parent. Perhaps everything there would be OK, but if you don't feel good about it, you should follow your instincts. Have you checked the Utah Sex Offender's Website? I did, and was amazed at how many offenders live in our area. My children are all grown up, so it is not as great a concern for us now, but it is for neighbors with small children. Our children are treasures, and should be guarded with utmost diligence.

The regestry won't show you all sex offenders I know this for sure. while the police in this story have been wonderful the ones in my grandaughters story are a whole different story. They not only did not file charges on the henious crime on a 4 yr old little girl after I walked in and witnessed him sodomizing her, her own father, they did almost no investigating. I know this is not his first offence either. he has sealed legal charges as a juvinile. The family is prominent and the mother dates a phychologist who counsils for the drug program for several courts in slc. I believe he also is a preditor. He protected this man for a year. watch out who you get to help your child get thru this, after 3 years she still has nightmares and does not communicate with others much. So much for midvale police protecting our children.

It's sad that these things are still happening. They ruin lifes, making them pseudo-survivors, developing into completly maladapted adults, hated by everyone else, pittied or belittled for their personal problems, plaged by depressions, and their weirdness. Nice that so many posters here too are clapping and cheering the children, but they might be growing up someday, too, and they'll be those noisy neighbors, addicts or 'jerks' everyone just wants to strangle.