cuffsIn a sting worthy of NBC's To Catch a Predator, FBI agents took down one of the most notorious pedophiles in the world.

Antonio Cardenas had fled to Mexico after video of him repeatedly molesting a 7-year-old boy became the most popularly traded child pornography in the world. But he was lured back to Utah by an invite to a kiddie birthday party.

He was basically scot-free, but couldn't resist the temptation to return to see his victim again. He had no idea the parents knew what he had done and were working with the FBI to finally nab him. 

The abuse began when the boy, who suffers from a learning disability and was teased by classmates, joined a mentoring program and was partnered with Cardenas. Instead of helping the poor kid, he molested and raped him, AND FILMED IT! He gave the tape to a friend who posted it on the Internet.

What really enrages me is that he was a mentor. It's as though pedophiles like him and Jerry Sandusky are cut from the same cloth. They get into positions where they are supposed to nurture children but instead prey on them. Stomach turning, isn't it.

We teach our children to be leery of strangers and in their mind, these monsters are not the people who are there to help and guide them. But from seemingly harmless volunteers to world renowned sports figures, these fiends come in every form. How can parents know who to trust?

How can parents protect children from monsters like this?


Image via banspy/Flickr