Beware of Perverts - Unfortunately, even at the happiest place on earth

[momandseandodisney]

I once was sitting outside the restroom area at the entrance to EPCOT and someone left their personal belongings, including what appeared to be a purse, in their stroller. I stood guard and warned them against this when they returned.



Slightly Goofy

i have seen this too, I once had a person ask me at WDW (she had 4 kids with her, 2 in a double storller - and 2 walkign) she wanted to go to therestroom with the 2 older ones, she asked me if I could watch the stoller, with her 2 kids in it and all of her belongings including her purse, while she wne t o the rest room

I told her NO , and that i would not ask anyone else if I was her WOW!

 

[nosnobunny2006]

Maybe I'm too trusting, but I honestly believe that as a society today, we are smothering our children. I find it hard to believe that as adults we should never let our children (especially 12 year olds?!) "out of our eye sight". What kind of message are we sending to these children about the world and their ability to cope with it?

I teach my daughters about "stranger danger". More importantly, I teach my children about "not-stranger" danger...let's face it...it is very rare for abuse to occur from a stranger - most is due to someone the child knows. I teach them to trust their instincts, and if something doesn't feel right or if they are nervous about a situation, then they should seek out help.

However, I refuse to let my children grow up afraid to play outside without me standing there watching them every minute. I want my children to become independent, strong-minded individuals who can look after themselves if a situation arises.

That being said, I would never leave a small child (say, under the age of 7) near open water, and don't let my 6 year old wander too far away from me. But, occasionally I let my 8 year old ride her bike around the block without me. I let her go to the washroom without me. When we are at wal-mart, sometimes I let the girls go to the toy section while I'm picking up groceries with the understanding that they must stay together while they are there (for short periods of time...like 5 minutes).

I guess I just feel it is better to equip our children with the right defenses and then let them live their lives. No matter how much you try to keep an eye on them every minute, every mother becomes distracted by their cell phone, a conversation, a salesclerk, etc. I refuse to spend our lives agonizing over a greatly over-stated risk that they may be molested by a stranger.

JMHO
Heather, Mom to Emily (8) and Sarah (6)

Very well said Heather and I couldn't agree with you more.

Beth

 

[Nick's Grandma]

I have 3 adult children and when my son was 12 he isisted he was old enough to go to the bus stop alone with his sisters. Well I kind of let him do that I would go to the end of our driveway and wait until the bus came we lived two doors up from the bus stop. Imagine my horror when a van pullled up and a man jumped out and started after them. They ran towards me and I ran towards them, the man jumped in his van and drove to down our road, It was a dead end. I called police and it took them an hour to get there. Within a month an eight year old girl was abducted walking from the bus stop in a neighboring town never to be seen again. You guessed it she was abducted by a man in a van. That could have been my children had I not been overprotective.
And guess what my children have grown to be responsible, independent adults, with children of their own. I think it is naive to think a child any age is mature enough to get away from an adult male who is intnt on snatching them up. While it is true that most molestations are perpetrated by someone clos, abductions are another thing.

 

[amwhitaker]

It doesn't matter where you are these days, you have to watch your kids and keep an eye on all people surrounding them.

 

[milmore104]

That is absolutely aweful. It goes to show you that you can't take your eyes off your children at all. I am one of those parents that even gets nervous sending my kids into their own backyard!
I hope that poor little girl is OK not to mentio the countless other children this creep has hurt.
Disgusting!

This is so me as well. My DD is 6. We live in a small town and have a fenced in back yard but I would still not allow her to go outside w/ out my eyes on her. I kick into over drive when I'm out of town shopping or even @ WDW. My DH or I ALWAYS have a hand on her. She is our most precious cargo and I wouldn't know what to do if anything ever happend to her.
Specially when it could have been prevented by holding her hand.

 

[Nick's Grandma]

Very well said Heather and I couldn't agree with you more.

Beth

Has anyone considered that Adam Walsh was left to play in a stores toy aisle, where there were other children around and was put out by a security guard. Sadly his mother thought he was safe.

 

[my4kids]

Maybe I'm too trusting, but I honestly believe that as a society today, we are smothering our children. I find it hard to believe that as adults we should never let our children (especially 12 year olds?!) "out of our eye sight". What kind of message are we sending to these children about the world and their ability to cope with it?

I teach my daughters about "stranger danger". More importantly, I teach my children about "not-stranger" danger...let's face it...it is very rare for abuse to occur from a stranger - most is due to someone the child knows. I teach them to trust their instincts, and if something doesn't feel right or if they are nervous about a situation, then they should seek out help.

However, I refuse to let my children grow up afraid to play outside without me standing there watching them every minute. I want my children to become independent, strong-minded individuals who can look after themselves if a situation arises.

That being said, I would never leave a small child (say, under the age of 7) near open water, and don't let my 6 year old wander too far away from me. But, occasionally I let my 8 year old ride her bike around the block without me. I let her go to the washroom without me. When we are at wal-mart, sometimes I let the girls go to the toy section while I'm picking up groceries with the understanding that they must stay together while they are there (for short periods of time...like 5 minutes).

I guess I just feel it is better to equip our children with the right defenses and then let them live their lives. No matter how much you try to keep an eye on them every minute, every mother becomes distracted by their cell phone, a conversation, a salesclerk, etc. I refuse to spend our lives agonizing over a greatly over-stated risk that they may be molested by a stranger.

JMHO
Heather, Mom to Emily (8) and Sarah (6)

Yes, it is worse than it used to be. ALthough these things have always happened, with the internet, these sickos now have 24/7 extremely easy access to material that feeds their sickness and their desire. Also, someone who has been molested themselves, is likely to molest at an older age, so the multiplier factor is at work.

And I'm guessing that this 8 year old girls parents are wishing they had "smothered" their daughter.

I don't care what the odds of it happening are, even if it is 1 in 5,000,000,000, that 1 is NOT going to be my kid.

 

[GOOFY4DONALD]

A while back I was watching FOX news and I believe Bill O'Reilly has a segment about this and WDW (actually all theme park places that attract kids). There are sickos that film little one year old dancing around and lifting their tops and dresses (just like all babies do) these sickos sell this online. So it doesn't matter if our kids are with us or not keep your eyes peeled. There was a recent arrest in my town of a guy and his wife in possession of child pornography. He said his favorite was filming the young dancers at local parades..(my daughter was in every local parade as a baton twirler) he would sell is films all over the world. I get just sick thinking that my daughter could be in one of his twisted movies.

 

[my4kids]

I have an 11-year old boy and an upcoming trip to WDW. The bathroom issue is really bothersome to me. I think he will just be mortified if I make him go into the women's restroom with me. Let's face it, others will stare at him and make him feel even more uncomfortable. My sister will be there so she can sit with him while I go (thank goodness), but there won't be anyone to go into the men's room with him. I'm just not sure what the answer here is. I guess I know how long it should take him and if there is any delay, I'll holler in to make sure he is all right??

I also have a trip this summer where we will be flying and no sister along. I usually avoid the bathrooms on the plane, but I think the best thing for us will be to use them instead of having to go in the airport. I would never let him wait for me to go in such a public place.

Have him use a companion bathroom, it's worth the extra walk.

 

[earthfaries]

Yes, it is worse than it used to be. ALthough these things have always happened, with the internet, these sickos now have 24/7 extremely easy access to material that feeds their sickness and their desire. Also, someone who has been molested themselves, is likely to molest at an older age, so the multiplier factor is at work.

And I'm guessing that this 8 year old girls parents are wishing they had "smothered" their daughter.

I don't care what the odds of it happening are, even if it is 1 in 5,000,000,000, that 1 is NOT going to be my kid.

Mine either!!!

 

[GOOFY4DONALD]

Have him use a companion bathroom, it's worth the extra walk.

Are these that same as a family bathroom? So my DH will be able to take the girls if he has to.

 

[perdidochas]

Maybe I'm too trusting, but I honestly believe that as a society today, we are smothering our children. I find it hard to believe that as adults we should never let our children (especially 12 year olds?!) "out of our eye sight". What kind of message are we sending to these children about the world and their ability to cope with it?

I teach my daughters about "stranger danger". More importantly, I teach my children about "not-stranger" danger...let's face it...it is very rare for abuse to occur from a stranger - most is due to someone the child knows. I teach them to trust their instincts, and if something doesn't feel right or if they are nervous about a situation, then they should seek out help.

However, I refuse to let my children grow up afraid to play outside without me standing there watching them every minute. I want my children to become independent, strong-minded individuals who can look after themselves if a situation arises.

That being said, I would never leave a small child (say, under the age of 7) near open water, and don't let my 6 year old wander too far away from me. But, occasionally I let my 8 year old ride her bike around the block without me. I let her go to the washroom without me. When we are at wal-mart, sometimes I let the girls go to the toy section while I'm picking up groceries with the understanding that they must stay together while they are there (for short periods of time...like 5 minutes).

I guess I just feel it is better to equip our children with the right defenses and then let them live their lives. No matter how much you try to keep an eye on them every minute, every mother becomes distracted by their cell phone, a conversation, a salesclerk, etc. I refuse to spend our lives agonizing over a greatly over-stated risk that they may be molested by a stranger.

JMHO
Heather, Mom to Emily (8) and Sarah (6)

I'm with you. I think the main thing is to teach children a few techniques to protect themselves/avoid dangerous situations. I am also a big believer in the buddy system (which works well for us, since I have a 8 yr old son and a 7 yr old son). I figure the chance of both of them being abducted together is small.

 

[perdidochas]

It's sad to think that WDW (and, indeed any location where children are present in large quantities) is a target for creeps like this one. It's one reason why WDW has always had (and always will) a very aggressive policy regarding cooperating with local authorities to prosecute these predators. You may rest assured that the Cast takes an equally dim view of this sort of behavior (it's worth mentioning that WDW runs CBCs (Criminal Background Checks) on all prospecive CMs before hiring).

Oh yes... one more thing...

Parents, please tell your kids that if they ever get lost or need help, or it's an emergency, they should immediately look for a Cast Member wearing a white nametag like this one:

Remind them NOT to go to someone wearing a blue nametag, or a red nametag, or a black nametag -- only a white one.

I told my kids to go to someone at a cash register, or to a "Mommy." Women with kids are the absolute safest person to ask for help.

 

[robinb]

I knew exactly how this thread was going to go before I even opened it up. This sicko has completely validated the fears of many people on the DIS. I think all of us will hug our children a little tighter tonight. However, many will use this incident as justification to smother their children with what I consider irrational fear and anxiety.

ETA: One of the best parenting books I've read is "Protecting the Gift" by Gavin DeBecker. It teaches parents what they really need to focus on in terms of keeping our children safe. The author stresses most importantly to follow our instincts, however if we're afraid of everything, we won't even hear our instincts. I highly recommend it to every parent!

That book was recommended on the "Going into the bathroom alone" thread. I will be picking it up from my local library today. I meant to do it last week, but it slipped my mind. I want to give my DD the tools to deal with scary situations as I cannot be with her holding her hand 24/7.

Back to the story ...

I do want to give a hearty shout out to the 11-year old boy who saw Bishop molesting the little girl and contacted the lifeguard. Way to go kid!

Secondly, I think that the Swan security and/or Orange County PO really dropped the ball on this. Bishop had been spotted approaching little girls twice last week and nothing was done. He is convicted sex offender whose arrest history goes back almost 40 years and he was allowed to return to a place filled with little girls in swimsuits.

 

[GOOFY4DONALD]

Yes, it is worse than it used to be. ALthough these things have always happened, with the internet, these sickos now have 24/7 extremely easy access to material that feeds their sickness and their desire. Also, someone who has been molested themselves, is likely to molest at an older age, so the multiplier factor is at work.

And I'm guessing that this 8 year old girls parents are wishing they had "smothered" their daughter.

I don't care what the odds of it happening are, even if it is 1 in 5,000,000,000, that 1 is NOT going to be my kid.

I'm with you. I was smothered as as child and I turned out fine. I do not care if the chance is ALMOST impossible, it is still possible.

 

[perdidochas]

Just to clarify, although I am concerned about your basic pervert, I am more worried about the ones who kidnap and murder and THAT is why my kids don't ride their bikes around the block alone. It's ok, I'll go out there. Don't misunderstand, it's not their fear at all... it's MY caution

In terms of the bikes, I taught my kids to stay away from cars, and if someone tries to grab you, hang onto the bike. It is almost impossible to grab both a kid and a bike simultaneously.

 

[my4kids]

I have 3 adult children and when my son was 12 he isisted he was old enough to go to the bus stop alone with his sisters. Well I kind of let him do that I would go to the end of our driveway and wait until the bus came we lived two doors up from the bus stop. Imagine my horror when a van pullled up and a man jumped out and started after them. They ran towards me and I ran towards them, the man jumped in his van and drove to down our road, It was a dead end. I called police and it took them an hour to get there. Within a month an eight year old girl was abducted walking from the bus stop in a neighboring town never to be seen again. You guessed it she was abducted by a man in a van. That could have been my children had I not been overprotective.
And guess what my children have grown to be responsible, independent adults, with children of their own. I think it is naive to think a child any age is mature enough to get away from an adult male who is intnt on snatching them up. While it is true that most molestations are perpetrated by someone clos, abductions are another thing.

For all the people that say "we are smothering our children" "overprotective", etc, this is my question, what harm can be done to my children by me protecting them? I let them fight the battles that they can on their own, with peers, etc. but what damage is it going to do in the long run that I don't let my son use the mens room in WDW alone? Will he be a lesser adult? NO. However, I can think of damage that could be done if I let him use it alone. To me the people that think it is such low odds that it is more harm to protect them contantly than good, well, that just sounds like a parent trying to justify the fact that they are just too lazy to worry about it all the time.

 

[GOOFY4DONALD]

I told my kids to go to someone at a cash register, or to a "Mommy." Women with kids are the absolute safest person to ask for help.

My kids were taught a 'shout'. If someone has them and can't get to a cashier or someone else. They scream..he is not my daddy (or mom for that matter) he is kidnapping me yell it over and over . If you teach your kids to just scream it looks too much like a temper tantrum. If your kid yells this it will cause attention and a pedophille wants an easy target.

 

[my4kids]

Are these that same as a family bathroom? So my DH will be able to take the girls if he has to.

Yes, but they are handicapped accessible for any handicapped people who need assistance in the restroom. However ,they are "handcapped accessible", but not "handicapped only" so anyone can use them. Of course you should be courtious to anyone who is handicapped and also needs to use it. (However, most 12 yr. old boys take about 2 seconds to take care of things, so I can not imagine that it woudl inconvience anyone)

 

[theresak]

I don't care what anybody else thinks. If my 10 year old needs to use the bathroom in public, he goes with me to the women's or I stand in the doorway of the mens. I'll be damned if my son gets his throat slit like that one child in a public bathroom of a beach. Or molested by some perv waiting for a lone child. He knows it's for his safety until he is large enough to protect himself.
No, he does not go off on his own either.
For you parents who leave their children in the store...have you not heard about the perv who would purposely stalk children in the toy section who were alone and molest them right there..on video???

It simply is not a safe world out there, and children can be taught all the tools you can think of, but the pervs have thought of new ones and children CANNOT be expected to protect themselves!! That is our job as PARENTS, who have been given a precious gift.


Wake up please, so you don't have to live with the regret of what you could have prevented.