There is a special kind of hell for people like Jerry Sandusky, and now, Richard Koca, a man who also positioned himself as a major advocate of "at-risk" youth, is being accused of similar crimes. Koca, the founder of StandUp for Kids -- a national homeless youth advocacy group -- is charged with repeatedly sexually assaulting a child over a three-year period. Am I the only one saying enough is f!@$)&! ENOUGH?
Both Koca (if he is guilty) and Sandusky used their positions in similar ways. But they aren't alone. Recent child molestation scandals have hit the church, the Boy Scouts, and now, two organizations for children who were vulnerable. These are all places where children should be able to go for help. The latter two organizations -- both The Second Mile (Sandusky's youth organization) and StandUp for Kids -- were specifically designed to serve at-risk kids.
Vulnerable kids with little adult supervision make great victims. Somehow this makes it even sicker.
People like Sandusky (and possibly Koca) purposely seek out children who have no one to tell. They manipulate them and use their position to hurt them.
Whether Koca is guilty or not, he won't be the last person ever accused of something like this. Child molesters are smart. They know how to find victims. They become involved in organizations -- like the Boy Scouts, like the Catholic Church, like Penn State -- that will cover their actions.
As parents, it puts us in a very difficult position. How do we protect our children when predators know how to hide in plain sight? Is every person who wants to work with kids a potential molester? There are days I think like that.
If a person like Sandusky or Koca (if he is guilty) can build an entire life around exploiting a population that needs help, care, and love, then what is to stop anyone from being like that? We want to believe the monsters our kids fear aren't real. The bogeyman isn't under their bed. There is no killer in the closet.
Then you hear stories like this and you wonder. If Koca is guilty, I hope the child he abused gets help and I hope he is never back out in the general population. Kicking people, especially children, when they are already down is a crime beyond comprehension. People like Sandusky are sick and deserve zero compassion.
Do you worry about your kids around everyone?
Image via State Records NSW/Flickr
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Comments 6
I don't allow my children to be around other adults without me there. It is a shame that so many families struggling and so many children are raised without fathers that mothers let their guards down by putting them in organizations that are supposed to help with the role of a "father figure" and instead their children end up abused. I'm not saying all organizations are bad but I don't trust them with my kids. It always suck when something that should be a good thing turns out to be bad.
I agree with rainbow! It's very scary that we live in a world where people have these sick, unnatural urges and target our children. I guess all we can do is inform and protect them as best we can. Wish there were more people like Drum out there. There is no excuse for these heinous crimes against children.
And, just in case you don't understand what this man started, he started a rescuse center for "throw away kids". Kids that weren't wanted by their families. Kids that society turned a blind eye to. Because of Rick I am a college student that is happily married with 4 kids. What have any of you done to help a child that wasn't your own? Do you just walk by them in the streets while they beg for some change? Do you look at them with disgust? Maybe you do and maybe you don't but this man took actions to try to help us and he did. Because of Rick myself and THOUSANDS of kids have been saved. Before you sit there in judgement of someone you do not know how about you sit there in judgement of yourselves,