[djmcmath]

Maybe I'm jaded; beatings, knifings, and murders hardly phase me anymore.

But then, this afternoon, I had the distinct pleasure of reviewing and verifying the charges on a sailor who's recently transferred to my facility. The charges are fairly straightforward, and not particularly outlandish -- kiddie porn, child molestation, sexual assault of a minor, that sort of thing. What really raised my hackles was reviewing the evidence. If you have a weak stomach, please stop reading now; I'm serious. The mother and father had both been married several times before, and both had a number of children from each marriage. Most of the children were psychologically or mentally disturbed in one way or another -- ADD, ADHD, retardation of varying degrees, prior abuse cases from previous marriages, etc.

Little things from the mother's statement leapt out at me. She had CPS on speed dial; it was not abnormal for her to have children taken by CPS. Restraining orders were the norm. She admitted to having been abused as a child, and suspected that he had been, too. She knew he was waking up at 3am every morning to "use the computer," but was not suspicious about why. The father had fantasies about sexual encounters with the children, neatly documented in his journal. The kid brother (age 9) had molested his older sister (age 11), and all 3 of the kids living in the house (male and female) had been molested by the father in one way or another. The 14yr old girl was too mentally handicapped to wash her own hair, so both parents aided in this function, taking turns. (shudder)

Yeah, it's a sick world in which we live. Stories like this one cross my desk from time to time, and they always make my stomach turn.

Murders? Beatings? Yup, those barely phase me any more.


Dan