TEACHERS DISCUSSION FORUM
View Thread · Previous · Next Return to Index › Re: Article in SCMP: US language tutor jailed for 30 years for sexually exploiting children in China
Zimmerman - 2014-03-13

Although this is meaningless to the crime - the abuser would be considered 'Hispanic' (not 'White') in his home country. A lot of us would ask 'what's the difference' but in the USA he wouldn't be a 'White guy' but 'Latino' or 'Hispanic'.

I worked in a jail for nearly a decade. There was a segregated area which was primarily used for sex offenders. Not all of them were 'pedophiles' of course but at any given time 1 or 2 would be sitting there. I once mentioned to a guard that I could not pick out anything about them that indicated 'pedophile' and that bothered me - I'd like to see some kind of 'warning sign' or 'something in their eyes'. The guard said there was one specific thing they all have in common and challenged me to find it. Maybe 2 weeks went by and I studied and observed and tried to pick it out - but I could not see 'it'!
Finally, weeks later I admitted to the guard that I hadn't spotted a single unique attribute in any of these 'skinners'. "You got it!" he said. Huh? He explained that one thing all pedophiles had in common was that they were very specifically 'ordinary'. I think we can say 'Generic'. In whatever their social circle (age, career etc).
The pedo who was a truck driver has the most standard issue 'trucker' styles, company jacket, common ball cap, he's neither too clean or too dirty. His cell phone will be a standard brand truckers use.
- But if the pedo was 21 he will be wearing the most common popular band t-shirt of his college, his hairstyle will be that years most popular style for 21 year olds, he has a red and blue backpack that almost all college kids have etc.
- If he was 17 he was wearing the most common 'UFC' t-shirt, that red cap they all wear, the typical cargo shorts and ....

Once he pointed this out it was obvious and of course it makes sense. They are the most 'generic' most 'bland', the most 'typical' and whatever their social circle they will blend in as the most 'common' appearance that can be chosen.

Oh.. and yes their vehicles were the same way. Trucker drove the standard Ford F-250, College guy the standard used Cavalier with a band sticker on the back window. 17 year old had a bicycle etc.

Unfortunately - NONE Of this helps us identify potential abusers since I've pretty much described 'anyone' but it's something to keep in mind.

View Thread · Previous · Next Return to Index › Re: Article in SCMP: US language tutor jailed for 30 years for sexually exploiting children in China





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