Profile of a Child Molester:
Real-Life Stories

The profile of a child molester is hard to configure. There is no “one-size-fits-all” description. But chances are he is someone your child trusts.

The FBI states that 90% of all molested children were abused by someone they know.

Generally, molesters are men (although plenty of women are offending). They tend to be “normal” people, with jobs, families, and friends.

They try to be involved with children – at church, school, or may even be the family babysitter. This way they can molest without sounding the alarm for missing kids.

What a great disguise, don’t you think?

Once in a position of trust or authority, they can choose their victims... and they'll choose easy targets!

Let me emphasize: molesters don’t like kids with aware parents. It’s inconvenient.

Be that inconvenient parent. When you are alert, you become your child's best defense.

Just to illustrate, let me give you a few real-life examples.

Profile of a Child Molester:
Male Pedophiles

• Robert Berchtold. A married man with children. A trusted neighbor and close family friend.

  He kidnapped the family’s 12-year-old girl, drugged and brainwashed her, then for 3 years managed to molest her repeatedly. There were other victims he admitted, but they were too afraid to come forward.

• Darren. A “loving father”, “average guy”, divorced with custody of his child. Nobody thought to suspect anything.

  In his 20s, he raped two 14-year-old girls and got away with it. Later, pornography and loneliness led him to molest his 12-year-old daughter. When she told, he lied to cover it up.

  This brave 12-year-old went to authorities. His lies may have worked with his ex-wife, but not with the police.

• Carlos Vector Valencia. A Spanish teacher. He had no previous criminal record and no one considered him a threat.

  He sexually assaulted one of his students on a couple occasions.

• "Father" Lawrence Murphy. A priest, a teacher in a private church-owned school, and a stout advocate for the deaf.

  Over 4 decades, this man molested boys. Time and again, children reported that he pulled their pants down and touched them. This took place at the school, in his car, in their dorm rooms and on fieldtrips.

  Experts estimate he molested about 200 children.

• Lee. A married 65-year-old man. A trusted family friend and frequent babysitter. The family’s 5-year-old-girl called him “grandpa”.

  Parents had no idea he was fondling their little girl… that is, until he accidentally hurt her and she reluctantly told her mom.

  One year later, he fondled another little girl, age 7. She was just a kid in the neighborhood who came to play with the scooters and toys that he kept at his house (which he used to draw kids to him). She was last in a long list of victims.

Profile of a Child Molester:
Female Pedophiles

• Adrienne Laflamme. A 60-year-old science teacher and long-time employee of Brevard County School District.

  She was seen as a trusted educator by teens, parents, and the school district.

  She was arrested for unlawful sex with a 17-year-old student and admitted to a "three-some" with this student and a 14-year-old. Authorities believe there are many more victims.

• Michelle Taylor. A married 31-year-old woman with 3 children of her own. She was the Physical Education teacher.

  She was charged for having sex with a 16-year-old student. She also exchanged hundreds of suggestive test messages with two other boys, ages 15 and 16.

• Alison Mosbeck. A mother of two and a middle-school teacher. She had no “past” that would make her a threat.

  Apparently, she needed drugs and turned to a student for assistance. She and the14-year-old soon became sexually involved for several months.

  In this case, the student’s mother noticed inappropriate text messages from his teacher and reported it to police. I applaud this mother for being alert and taking action.

• Jaymee Wallace. A 28-year-old wife, math teacher, and girls basketball coach. She wrote a love note to a 14-year-old girl that began a two year lesbian relationship.

• Senorita Walker. Age 33, was a Special Education teacher. She paid marijuana, alcohol, and $5,000 to three teenage boys in exchange for sex.

Most of these stories came from news articles, some from an interview that Oprah Winfrey (a popular American talk-show hostess) had with admitted offenders, and others from books.

If you notice, these predators chose convenient victims.

Just keep your eyes open. Defend your kids. The profile of a child molester might be staring you in the face. Not every child molester is a pedophile. Click here to read more!

Return from Profile of a Child Molester to Child Molester Myths.

Return from Profile of a Child Molester to Child Safety For Parents