watch your kids-even for that split second (credit, law)

[Topaz]

Originally Posted by sapphire

My point was that it does happen. Once is too many times. You stated that pedophiles are cowardly (according to your hunch) and I don't think they are. Sneaky, disgusting, sick, but not cowardly. They have urges they can't control, which makes them very capable of having the gall to do some of the things they do to satisfy those urges. I wouldn't have the nerve to try and take a child in broad daylight, let alone climb into their window at night with a potential shotgun of an angry father pointing down my nose. Cowardly? Not in my opinion.

We can take this to DM's if you'd like. No sense turning an info thread into our discussion of pedophiles.

The U.S. Department of Justice profile of the typical pedophile says that most pedophiles are non-violent and they will go to great lengths to entice victims in the least risky way. You can Google it to read more.

I don't have any further interest in talking about pedophiles. I just didn't want to leave it out there that children are in great danger from pedophiles breaking into our homes - they aren't.

[sapphire]

Plain and simple--some sick people have made it damn near impossible for our children to see the light of day. I get so mad when I think about it--something as simple as walking 50 feet from your own home cannot be done safely. Instead of passing judgment on parents, the anger needs to be at these sick bastages that are preying on our kids.

[sapphire]

Originally Posted by Topaz

The U.S. Department of Justice profile of the typical pedophile says that most pedophiles are non-violent and they will go to great lengths to entice victims in the least risky way. You can Google it to read more.

I don't have any further interest in talking about pedophiles. I just didn't want to leave it out there that children are in great danger from pedophiles breaking into our homes - they aren't.

No, many people have pedophiles living in their homes. Like I said, we can take this to DM's. Unless you just have to have the last word, feel free.

[Topaz]

Originally Posted by sapphire

Plain and simple--some sick people have made it damn near impossible for our children to see the light of day. I get so mad when I think about it--something as simple as walking 50 feet from your own home cannot be done safely. Instead of passing judgment on parents, the anger needs to be at these sick bastages that are preying on our kids.

I agree completely! I didn't mean to say anything that could be interpreted as judgmental of parents. I also don't believe that pedophiles can be rehabilitated...something must have gone wrong with their brains to make them the way they are. I'd like to see them permanently separated from the rest of society. Maybe on some island where there are no children to be victimized.

[Topaz]

Originally Posted by sapphire

No, many people have pedophiles living in their homes. Like I said, we can take this to DM's. Unless you just have to have the last word, feel free.

We probably agree about many things. This topic is just upsetting and likely to cause strong feelings. For the moment, I'm done with thinking about pedophiles...but I did tell my children this morning not to be tricked by someone claiming to have lost their iPod!

[NCN]

While we are on the subject of children disappearing, I am going to say something that may shock you.

The library children's section is not a safe place to drop off your child. Librarians watch the best they can, but we had signs up all over the place saying, "Children may not be left unattended in the library." You would not believe how many parents tried to sneak away without our noticing it. The sign was there for a reason. We knew the type people who sometimes came around.

So what is being attended? If you can reach out and touch your child, that child is being attended.

One day I came back from lunch and the police were inside with a dog sniffing around. I thought they were maybe looking for a missing person. They were. It was the person who had robbed a bank down the street and it was finally concluded that person had come inside and changed his disguise and had walked through a bunch of preschoolers on his way to the restroom stall.

I am not from Texas and this is not a flame. I just want all children to be safe.

The person who started this thread is a good parent or her child would have been gone. She came to a realization that we all needed to hear. It just takes a split second.

[catriona]

Originally Posted by NCN

While we are on the subject of children disappearing, I am going to say something that may shock you.

The library children's section is not a safe place to drop off your child. Librarians watch the best they can, but we had signs up all over the place saying, "Children may not be left unattended in the library." You would not believe how many parents tried to sneak away without our noticing it. The sign was there for a reason. We knew the type people who sometimes came around.

So what is being attended? If you can reach out and touch your child, that child is being attended.

One day I came back from lunch and the police were inside with a dog sniffing around. I thought they were maybe looking for a missing person. They were. It was the person who had robbed a bank down the street and it was finally concluded that person had come inside and changed his disguise and had walked through a bunch of preschoolers on his way to the restroom stall.

I am not from Texas and this is not a flame. I just want all children to be safe.

The person who started this thread is a good parent or her child would have been gone. She came to a realization that we all needed to hear. It just takes a split second.

I was shocked during the summer to see how many kids were dropped off at the library. They were not reading, but being noisy and rude. The librarian told me that it was an every day occurrence during the summer. His impression was that they were being used as free daycare. What is with these parents? Libraries are made for reading, researching, etc., not as drop off points for kids who have no one at home. No joke, there must have been over 50 kids the day we were there and it sounded like a school cafeteria. The librarian said there were signs about no dropping off kids, but what could they do when the parents skipped out the door unnoticed?.

Ditto with dropping kids off at Fiesta Texas. Not just the 16+ age group, but the younger ones! I guess I'm old fashioned, but I would not allow my pre-teen or teenage kid to go to a theme park or a mall alone. Not these days, not with all the wierdos and other possible dangers.

When my kids were younger, I reminded them constantly that they had to stay with me, next to me, hang on to me, etc. I can recall once when my son decided to be funny and run hide under the clothes racks in Wallyworld. It had to have been one of the worst feelings in the world, not knowing where your kid was. A friend of mine had someone following her at the mall when she was pregnant and pushing her infant daughter in a stroller. He even followed her to the lingerie section! He ran off when he figured out she was reporting him.

That being said, it is very frustrating to think that your kids are not safe even in their own front yard. My kids never played in the front unless one of us was out there with them. You just never know what can happen. I guess the Heidi Sieman kidnapping made a major impression on me when it happened.

When I was a kid, we rode our bikes all over the southeast side of town, spent the day at either McCreless or South Park Malls, went to the movies by ourselves, even rode the bus down town and roamed all over Joske's and part of Houston Street. Rode the bus to the zoo, to North Star and Central Park, downtown library, etc. It is sad that those 'carefree' days are over and our kids are paranoid about riding a bike down the street because a car/truck might slow down. Sad, but a reality.

I'm so glad the OP's son is okay, and I'm grateful to her for posting this reminder for all of us parents. It only takes a second, and it doesn't matter if the kid is 5 or 15.

[SanAntoQT]

Originally Posted by catriona

When I was a kid, we rode our bikes all over the southeast side of town, spent the day at either McCreless or South Park Malls, went to the movies by ourselves, even rode the bus down town and roamed all over Joske's and part of Houston Street. Rode the bus to the zoo, to North Star and Central Park, downtown library, etc. It is sad that those 'carefree' days are over and our kids are paranoid about riding a bike down the street because a car/truck might slow down. Sad, but a reality. .

I was thinking the same thing.

[the_dimwit]

For the record, I was not "parent bashing." I agree that criminals are opportunists. By that very definition, criminals will take the path of least resistance--a child alone on a street versus a child in an occupied home, for example. I apologize if I offended anyone, especially nicholasa...what happened is truly scary and should serve as a wake-up call for all parents (including me) to remind our kids of the dangers of the world around us.

--Dim

[majormadmax]

Originally Posted by the_dimwit

I'm not trying to start something, but if you're even 25-50 feet away from a child and someone drives up, snatches the child, and drives away, do you think you'll be able to catch up before they're gone? My point is, just because you're watching from the window doesn't mean the child is safe.

--Dim

I've got 14 rounds of 185 grain Federal Hi-Shok JHP .45ACP ammo with me; so they may out run me, but unless they are faster than 874 fps, they aren't going to outrun them!

And I am not kidding here. There are loads of kids that play on our street (ours included), and if I ever witnessed an attempt to kidnap any of them, I will intervene! Texas law allows a legally-armed citizen to "use deadly force to prevent the other's imminent commission of aggravated kidnapping, murder, sexual assault, aggravated sexual assault, robbery, or aggravated robbery" (PC 99.32. DEADLY FORCE IN DEFENSE OF PERSON), and you can bet your last dollar that I am prepared and will do so if necessary!

I'm not trying to sound tough or scare anyone, but we as a community must bond together to stop acts such as this. The police can only be in so many places at the same time, it is also our civic duty to look after each other and especially kids!

I am glad to hear you reported this to the police. Hopefully they will catch this scum and prevent him from trying to do the same to someone else's child.

Cheers! M2