When I got this month’s NGJ magazine and saw the “Censored” story (they didn’t want kids reading it without parental permission) I got to reading it in short order. It’s a painful story, but one all parents and care-givers need to read.

It’s the story by a now grown man about how his church preacher/elementary school teacher abused him and one or more other boys. It’s a story about how this evil man got away with it in part by the humiliation and fear he instilled in his young victim. The boy didn’t tell his parents, he was about nine years of age. I think of my own boys, one who is the same age.

Tonight I’m sharing this with you because it’s simply unthinkable that sick, selfish adults choose to ruin and destroy an innocent childhood with sexual abuse. This young boy wanted to kill himself. Shame, SHAME on any adult who would and does abuse a child.

The other incredibly sad point to this story is that no adult in this boy’s life seemed to put “two and two together” except maybe the Principal of the school who, according to the story,  appeared to me to be protecting the teacher, whether or not he thought anything was going.

Parents. You MUST be proactive in protecting your child. If your child is acting “different”, sullen, depressed, angry, etc. you need to lovingly investigate why. Never give your child the impression you would be disappointed to know if someone was making them do horrible things.

Parents, be preventative. Talk to your child when they are young about the difference between appropriate and inappropriate touches. Don’t easily and often allow  your children spend the night away from home. This man had the parents confidence and was taking their son (the author of the story “Tommy’s Story”) camping, etc.. He was getting this child (third grade, I think) out of class to abuse him in a closet. Sick. SICK.

Here’s an excerpt from Tommy’s Story….

“When we were in the second grade Todd and I got saved. It was in this cocoon of a perfect life with wonderful parents, friends, and church folks that I entered the third grade. For two happy little boys, the end of perfect had come. Todd and I were about to meet the devil.

I was in the bathroom at school when Mr. Wood approached me. I was standing at the urinal working on my zipper. He put both hands around me to zip my pants. I pulled away embarrassed, muttering “I can zip my own pants.” I felt he was treating me like I was a little kid.

Todd’s family lived next door to the church. I was there the next Saturday when we saw some big boys playing football behind the church, so we went over to watch. Mr. Wood was there playing with the big boys and asked us if we wanted to join in the game. Todd whispered, “He’s our new preacher and he is also a teacher at school.” The preacher kept giving me and Todd the ball. It bothered me that he wanted to grab us up, but I thought, “He’s the preacher so he must be good.” …

(Read the rest of Tommy’s Story here). And by the way, “Tommy”, a grown man now, is helping bust abusers like this as you will read about at the end of the story.

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:”  I Peter 5:8