Same Person Responsible for 13 Rapes?

Students at both Kansas State and the University of Kansas have been alerted by school officials to be extra cautious during spring break, which begins next week. Over the last eight years, 13 rapes have occured at the two school campuses during school breaks. Investigators believe the same person could be responsible due to similiarities in the attacks. The schools have put warnings up on their websites and different groups have handed out pamphlets on and off campus. The schools have even emailed students to get the word out, and have alerted the community to be on the lookout. This is a great approach to draw awareness and take preventative measures. The schools are showing support for a very serious issue that affects many young people, especially during the college years.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/03/12/kansas.spring.break.rapes/index.html?iref=mpstoryview

Does GPS Monitoring of Sex Offenders Work?

When convicted sex offenders are fitted with GPS monitoring devices we assume that someone is watching their every move and ensuring the safety of those around them. GPS will tell you where an offender is or was, but it doesn't tell you what he or she is doing at the time. GPS is a valuable tool in corroborating an offenders alibi or confession, but only after that crime has already been attempted or committed. Experts say GPS needs to work with other programs to be successful, and not to count on an ankle bracelet to deter an offender from committing another crime.

Darrin Sanford is a homeless convicted sex offender who was wearing a GPS device when he killed a 13 year girl after attempting to rape her. The young girl had been warned to stay away from the area in which she was assaulted, but she went anyway. It certainly doesn't mean she deserved what happened to her. She was a teen. A young girl who felt confident enough to walk through that field. Her family did what they could by warning her of the dangers. They were trying to protect her. Darrin Sanford took advantage of the situation and killed her when he couldn't do what he intended. The GPS did not stop him from committing this terrible crime, but why was he out in the streets anyway? He had been in trouble before for not registering as a sex offender, so how many chances does he get? His offenses went back 10 years, and now a young girl is dead and a family devastated.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/03/12/sex.offender.gps/index.html

Oprah's Magazine Shares Stories from Male Survivors

David France talks with men who have survived sexual abuse and their wives in Oprah's magazine "O". 1 in 6 men will be sexually abused in their lifetime, and more often than not, they stay silent about it. In this article, three men share their stories and their struggle with their relationships. Their marriages have suffered, but their wives have stood by and are invovled in the healing process. A lot of times, intimacy issues come up when the victims become involved in a healthy relationship. The individuals responsible for the abuse have not only altered the victims life, but all the people around that person. This goes for their wives, girlfriends, partners, parents, children and anyone else they may be close to. It affects so many more people than we think, and seems to take on a domino effect.
With any victim of sexual violence, it's hard to come forward and report the abuse, but with men and young boys, there are even more victims who stay silent. They tend to feel ashamed and embarrassed that they couldn't stop the perpetrator and even worry that the abuse defines their sexuality. Sexual abuse knows no boundaries and doesn't discriminate. These men were strong enough to come forward and discuss the most intimate stages in their lives. We should all be thankful that they were brave enough to shatter the silence.
http://www.oprah.com/article/omagazine/200810_omag_sexual_abuse/1

"Operation Cross Country" Works to Combat the Abuse of Children

Twenty-nine cities took part in "Operation Cross Country", and 48 minors were found in the raids. Nationwide, over 500 adults were arrested and charged with prostitution related charges. Prostitution has been a problem all over the country for years, but more and more minors seem to be involved. Whether they selling their bodies by force or by "choice", these young people are being taken advantage of. Some of the prostitutes are as young as 12 years old.
http://www.suntimes.com/news/24-7/1445413,child-prostitution-crackdown-022309.article

Rapelay Game Pulled From Amazon.com

Rapelay is a "game" in which the player is supposed to gang rape a group of women. The player is then supposed to force the woman to have an abortion. This sick game was released in 2006 in and was made available for purchase on Amazon.com before a slew of complaints got it off the website. The game is one of many developed by Illusion that is sexually violent. It's a little unnerving to try and think of who plays this game...
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/scienceandtechnology/technology/4611161/Rapelay-virtual-rape-game-banned-by-Amazon.html

Now Facebook Removes Sex Offenders

Since May of 2008, 5,500 convicted sex offenders have been removed from Facebook. Recently, MySpace announced it had removed more than 90,000 sex offenders so it's nice to know that Facebook has followed suit. Out of 175 million users, it's hard to say if 5,500 is a strong number, or if there are many more to be found. Facebook's policy is said to state that "no convicted sex offender be allowed to keep a facebook page", which is a great start in keeping sexual predators off of the site. All of the networking sites have to do their part to keep their site safe. They are praised for keeping people connected, but have all been in trouble with the public and sometimes the law. The more they can do to keep their sites user friendly, the better.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29289048/from/ET/

Happy Birthday PAVE!

Today marks PAVE's 8 year anniversary. As PAVE and other organizations like it continue to raise awareness and "shatter the silence", we have slowly seen more incidents reported, more support from society and less tolerance for sexual violence. We have learned that sexual violence doesn't discriminate between men and women, age, race, social class or any other factor. PAVE has come a long way, but sexual violence is still a major problem. As much work that has been done to bring awareness to this issue, there is always more to do, more to say, more to fight for.

It used to be a more "private" matter that wasn't talked about with the public, or sometimes even family. Now, we ask that you speak out and stand up for yourself and what is right. We want to know what happened, and how we can try to prevent it from happening again. We want other survivors of sexual assault to know that they are not alone, and that someone understands. We want to see perpetrators punished for their crimes and not be allowed to make someone else their next victim. We want the legal system to do their part and protect the ones who are not at fault. We ask that the media reports its' stories in a fair manner, using appropriate language and terms that aren't victim blaming. These are all things we hope to accomplish with organizations like PAVE.

The unfortunate thing is that when I am looking for stories for this blog, I am never at a loss. There is always an abundance of stories in the news from the entire United States, and around the world. Even when I am not looking for something new, someone emails me a disturbing story or video. I am not sure how to sort through all of these sometimes, and try to find stories with the most information, or even one with an aspect of sexual violence that hasn't been discussed or brought up in a while. Even in my personal life, I am still amazed at how many people I know or who I have met who have been victims of sexual violence. I meet others who have been affected because they are close to a victim or even a perpetrator. I believe this makes them a victim also, just in a differnt sense. I hope that with the support of the public, continued donataions, and the hard work of PAVE leadership and friends, PAVE can continue to be the voice for victims of sexual violence. Happy birthday to PAVE. It can help take you from victim to survivor.

Sad but true. When I said I am never at a loss for stories, look at what I found in an hour....

Police: Suspect Has Molested Children For Decades
Jeffersonville police have arrested a 50-year-old man who they said has been molesting children for decades.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28801100/from/ET/

Former HCSO Detective Accused Of Molesting Child
A former detective is in custody, accused of assaulting a girl multiple times, KPRC Local 2 reports.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28814555/from/ET/

Deputy Accused Of Child Sex Assault Warned To Stay Away
A former detective accused of sexually assaulting a child is told by a judge to not have any contact with the girl, KPRC Local 2 reports.http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28814562/from/ET/

Port St. Lucie Father Arrested In Sex Sting
A Port St. Lucie father is accused of trying to trade his 2-year-old daughter for sex.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28794803/from/ET/

Roseburg man convicted in 2001 sex attacks
An Oregon man has been convicted of sexually assaulting two teenage girls in an Orange County home eight years ago.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28794448/from/ET/

Child Sex Convict Won't Be Called "Predator"
71-year-old Eugene W. Vahlenkamp, from Waukesha, was convicted in state and federal court in the early 1990s of sexually assaulting two brothers from the Green Bay area. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28815478/from/ET/