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I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, most child sexual abuse cases don’t involve some creepy guy driving up in a van and luring kids in with candy. It’s very often a charming individual or couple (that’s how Maxwell and Epstein did it) who prey on young teens and pre-teens. They slowly gain their trust over time. Some pretend to be their friend and buy them things for months. Even get to know their parents in a few cases.

But eventually the perversions come out and these kids are put in adult situations with people they think they can trust. It’s not often the Hollywood horror show many scenes portray, it’s much more sinister because the victims agree to their abuse. This can go on for months or even years and haunts the children involved for years afterwards.

Minors who are struggling, experiencing trouble at home, and live with single parents are more likely to be singled out. Lonely children are easy targets. This is why it’s important to not only educate children to be confident and smart about their interactions, but entire communities need to look out for the kids who are most vulnerable, and punishments for child predators need to be increased.