What is Child Grooming?

Child grooming is a term used in the context of child sexual abuse.  Grooming is process used by the abuser to establish the trust of the child and the trust of the child’s parents or guardians as well.  According to the Hero Project, predators will usually try and gain access to a child by grooming the parents. 

For example, a predator may groom a parent by dating the child’s mother with actual interests in the child.  This concept was popularized in literature by Vladimir Nabokov in the book titled Lolita.  Another example of grooming the parents includes offering to babysit or perform favors for the family only in order to gain access to the parents. 

Steps Involved in Child Grooming Behavior

A predator can groom a child for months or even years in order to make the child more comfortable and accept physical touch from the predator.  The Hero Project indicates the first touching is usually nonsexual, such as an “accidental” touch to a hand or shoulder or playful tickling. 

At some point, the predator will introduce a level of secrecy between the child and the parents.  The predator may allow the child to engage in activity the parents would not approve of such as staying up late or eating junk food.  These secrets eventually result in the predator making threats to maintain a level of secrecy after sexual contact has started.  They may tell the child that they’ll hurt a family member if they tell or tell the child that their parents will hate them if they tell. 

Other Types of Child Grooming

Predators will often target children who are trusting, quiet or a victim of abuse in the past.  The level of touch will continually increase, and the predator

may even spend time with the child during bedtime.  They try to isolate the child and increase the level of contact to see how the child reacts. 

Predators also engage in the following types of child grooming:

·         kissing the child in an inappropriate way

·         holding the child on their lap when the predator is aroused

·         playing tag and pulling down the child’s pants

·         touching that seems harmless like wrestling, tickling, or massaging

·         treating the child like they are equal or a spouse

How to Recognize Child Grooming

Many parents believe that child grooming is preventable if a close family member or friend helps take care of the child.  This is a myth.  A large percentage of predators are family members or close acquaintances. 

The best way to look out for child grooming is to constantly talk with the child’s teachers, coaches, day care personnel, or others that are around the child constantly.  These adults may be able to notice changes in the child’s behavior. 

The Hero Project encourages parents to make unannounced visits as much as possible.  Also, parents should make sure to emphasize that their children can tell them anything.  Ask as many questions as possible. 

On November 6, 2012, the US Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri announced that a man from Kansas City was sentenced to 245 years in prison for drugging and molesting a total of 13 children and videotaping some of the sexual abuse.  

David M. Ketchmark, the Acting US Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, stated: “We’re satisfied that an extremely dangerous sexual predator is guaranteed to spend the rest of his life in prison. . . .The serial abuser will never victimize another child for the rest of his life.”

Ketchmark admitted that the victims were between 6 and 13 years old, and he stated the abuse started in 1997.  All of the abuse occurred at his residence, and most of the videos were recorded in his basement.  

He told authorities that he gave the victims sleeping pills—even Ambien.  The pills were placed in ice cream and soda that he gave to the victims.  The victims were videotaped in bed as they were unconscious and subject to different kinds of molestation.  Edwards also admitted that he used his son to lure potential victims to his home.  He encouraged his son to have sleepovers, and some of the victims remember having ice cream eating contests at his home.  

Government evidence indicates that Edwards had videos, pictures, and documents on his computer that related to the molestations.  Authorities also found a document called “How to Molest Young Girls” that gave instructions about specific dosage amounts for children and more.  

Edward was caught by authorities after two different stings in May and June of 2009.  The FBI, the Independence Police Department, and the Heart of America Regional Computer Forensics Laboratory were in charge of the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Fincham was in charge of prosecution.  

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation
 

On October 11, 2012, the ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) for South Africa announced that Jesse Osmun was sentenced to 180 months in prison for crimes during his time as a Peace Corps volunteer.  He received the prison sentence and 10 years of supervised release for sexually abusing four girls under the age of 6 while volunteering in South Africa.  

U.S. Embassy Pretoria Chargé d’Affairs Virginia E. Palmer stated, “This case has shown that both the United States and South Africa have no tolerance when it comes to the abuse of innocent children.  Through close collaboration between U.S. and South African law enforcement officials we have been able to close this sad case and bring justice to this criminal.  Our heart goes out to the young victims involved.”

Osmun became a Peace Corps volunteer in 2010 and began working at a non-governmental organization (NGO) in South Africa.  The organization provided education, food and more to children in the area, and many of these children were orphans.

Osmun was confronted by his program director about allegations of sexual abuse in May of 2011, and he quickly resigned from the Peace Corps.  He returned to the United States on June 2 of 2011, and HSI quickly began an investigation into the allegations with help from the South African Police Service and the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigations.  

During the investigation, it was found the Osmun encouraged the young girls to engage in sexual acts by persuading them with candy and offering to play games.  The abuse occurred about twice a week over 5 months.  

Osmun was arrested at his home in Milford, Connecticut on June 27, 2012.  He has remained detained since his arrest, and he has pleaded guilty to his charges.  

Source: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement