8 minutes.  Researchers discover sexual predators “groom” children for sex online in just 8 minutes.  In an article in the Irish Independent newspaper, researchers at Middlesex University in London revealed that online predators appear to be much more aggressive in the way that they approach children in cyberspace.  The study found that online sexual predators “cut to the chase” and turn online chat conversations with children to sexual topics within 3 minutes of meeting the child.  In addition, the study showed that a bond was formed between the child and the predator just 5 minutes later, often leading to a sexual exchange of information, sexual photographs and even online sexual activity.

This information is significant because previous beliefs that there was a period of grooming by sexual predators may be inaccurate in an online setting.  Historically, sexual predators engaged in a period of trust-building with a child victim where the predator would have secrets with the child, give gifts or build an emotional bond with the child.  Knowing this, parents took some comfort in believing that their supervision would lead to discovery and termination of any inappropriate relationship involving their child before the relationship turned sexual.  It appears that this grooming grace period simply does not exist online.  This leaves parents without time to intercept predators before they can exploit our kids.

This information simply highlights the need for parents to prevent this type of online contact because there is no time for parents to intervene once the contact is made.   Have frank discussions with kids about online sexual activities.  Kids often view cyberspace as a place where they can be anonymous and do things that they would not do in any other setting like swap nude photographs or participate in sexual activity using video chat.  Children do not seem to get that no one is anonymous online and video chats are often recorded and uploaded to child pornography websites.  In addition, parental control settings on computers and gaming systems for young children may be valuable in preventing the child from visiting places where they could be manipulated and preyed upon.

About the Author:  Patrick Noaker is the Senior Litigation Attorney in the Jeff Anderson law firm. He has successfully litigated hundreds of cases involving childhood sexual abuse, exploitation and pornography for clients across the United States.  Patrick has also won a number of landmark cases involving child pornography and sexual abuse and regularly fights for the rights of victims of child maltreatment in the court system.  Patrick has written a number of scholarly articles on child sexual abuse and he is a member of the National Crime Victims Bar Association, American Association for Justice and the Million Dollar Advocates Forum.

ChildProtectionNews.com Podcast

United States District Court - Minneapolis

Yesterday, a federal judge awarded money damages to a victim of child pornography using the federal anti-child pornography law named “Masha’s law.”  In one of the first cases of its kind, a victim of sexual abuse and child pornography won a judgment for $240,000 against his former foster and adoptive parent, Gregg Alan Larsen, for injuries relating to child pornography produced when the victim was a child.

In an order dated March 14, 2012, United States District Court Judge Joan Ericksen noted that the victim “sustained genuine emotional distress because of Gregg Larsen’s conduct” before awarding $240,000 to the victim for future medical treatment and emotional distress.   This case is the first in a series of civil cases filed against Gregg Larsen for producing, distributing and downloading child pornography involving foster children living in Larsen’s home. 

According to lead attorney Patrick Noaker, this case was very challenging to litigate because we were using Masha’s Law in a way that had not been tried before.  There was little guidance for the lawyers and the Court because there are very few reported cases discussing civil lawsuits for child pornography.  According to Noaker, “this young man displayed incredible courage by being willing to be one of the very first people to bring a case using Masha’s law.  This young man has blazed a trail for others who have been injured by child pornography to get the help that they need. “

Last year, the Jeff Anderson law firm announced its Combating Child Pornography initiative.  “If we can use the civil justice system to deter people from producing and viewing child pornography, we will affect the demand for the child pornography and fewer children will be injured because there will be less child pornography produced” stated attorney Jeff Anderson.   This case is the first case that Anderson’s firm has litigated to the point of getting an award of money damages. 

About the Author:  Patrick Noaker is the Senior Litigation Attorney in the Jeff Anderson law firm. He has successfully litigated hundreds of cases involving childhood sexual abuse for clients all across the United States and has worked with others to initiate legislation that protects children. Patrick has lectured nationally on issues encountered in sexual abuse litigation, appeared on national television and in newspapers across the country advocating for survivors of sexual abuse and other crimes.

One of the pillars of justice to which I have dedicated my career is meaningful access to the court systems for all.  Even those with mental conditions that make it difficult for the justice system to embrace.  Often this fight is about removing barriers that keep people out of the courts.  Recently, I had the honor of arguing in front of the Minnesota Supreme Court on one of these issues.  The case before the Minnesota Supreme Court involved a survivor of childhood sexual abuse by the well-known sexual abuser Fr. Thomas Adamson.  As a reaction to the trauma of being sexually assaulted by his parish priest, the boy developed amnesia for the sexual abuse.  The traumatic memories then flooded back years later.

This type of amnesia is not common in the general population, but is more common in people who have been traumatized like combat veterans, child abuse victims, Holocaust survivors, and war refugees.  There has been much discussion in the fields of psychology and psychiatry about this amnesia, commonly referred to as repressed memory.  In our case, the issue was whether to allow persons who have experienced repressed memory to have access to courts.  Can criminal or civil cases be prosecuted when a person experiences repressed memory?  I advocate the position that all people should be given access to Minnesota courts – no matter what mental or physical condition they suffer from.  The above Minnesota Lawyer article summarizes the arguments to the Minnesota Supreme Court.

About the Author.  Patrick Noaker is the Senior Litigation Attorney in the Jeff Anderson law firm. He has successfully litigated hundreds of cases involving childhood sexual abuse for clients all across the United States and has worked with others to initiate legislation that protects children. Patrick has lectured nationally on issues encountered in sexual abuse litigation, appeared on national television and in newspapers across the country advocating for survivors of sexual abuse and other crimes.

Young Native American Girl Prostitute in Portland

It is difficult to imagine that someone could be enslaved in the United States.  It is also difficult to imagine a life of starvation, confinement, beatings, gang rape and forced drug use.  It is even more difficult to imagine that being the life of a child.  But it is.  According to the website istoptraffic.com, there are as many as 375,000 children who are being forced into a life of prostitution and sex trafficking in the United States.  In a recent article in Indian Country, sex trafficking of children is on the rise in Native communities.  So much so that the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs conducted an oversight hearing titled “Native Women: Protecting, Shielding, and Safeguarding Our Sisters, Mothers and Daughters” where the main point of discussion was the enslavement of Native American girls for use in the sex trades and the production of child pornography.

Sex trafficking is not a problem from some far away place.  Some of you may recall, in the January 5, 2011 ChildProtectionNews.com podcast Children in the Sex Trade, I interviewed Linda Miller, Executive Director of the Civil Society in St. Paul, Minnesota about the problem of child sex trafficking in Minnesota.  During that interview, Linda confirmed that child sex trafficking is a major problem in Minnesota.  In fact, about a year ago, I spoke at a workshop organized by the Civil Society on the issue of Human Trafficking and I was shocked that over 100 people attended, all of whom worked in social service positions combating child sex trafficking.  In St. Paul!  I am not sure why I have trouble imagining the twin cities as a hub for child sex trafficking.  I think that it might just be too difficult to imagine that the child I just passed in the skyway is being starved, confined, beaten, gang raped and drugged. It is just too painful.  So, I block it from my thoughts. I don’t think that I am alone.  Thus, these kids become invisible.  Despite the plight of these invisible children coming to my attention, I have not taken action.

Well, I am going to change my thinking.  I am going to take some action.  Stay tuned.

Patrick Noaker is the Senior Litigation Attorney in the Jeff Anderson law firm. He has successfully litigated hundreds of cases involving childhood sexual abuse for clients all across the United States and has worked with others to initiate legislation that protects children. Patrick has lectured nationally on issues encountered in sexual abuse litigation, appeared on national television and in newspapers across the country advocating for survivors of sexual abuse and other crimes.

NJ Teacher Sean Coghlan Caught With Child Porn

 St. Paul, MN.  This week’s news headlines are a little discouraging.  People who are supposed to protect are, instead exploiting.  Homeless children.  John Landrum, Jr. works with the Phoenix Salvation Army  as the Program Coordinator of the homeless outreach program.  This last week, he was arrested after being caught downloading child pornography.  According to the Salvation Army “If he [Landrum] came into contact with children, it would have been working with a family and trying to transition them to our homeless shelter.”  Elementary School Students.  New Jersey Fifth grade teacher Sean P. Coghlan was also arrested this week for possessing child pornography.  In addition, police officers in Florida and Toronto were also arrested for child pornography.

These arrests are especially haunting because most Safe-Touch or similar child abuse prevention programs teach our children to tell a trusted adult if they are being sexually abused or if they believe that another child is being sexually abused.  Trusted adults like teachers police officers, and homeless program coordinators.  If there is anyone who thinks that we have defeated the social scourge of childhood sexual abuse and exploitation, they are very mistaken.  Hopefully, this discouraging news will strengthen our resolve to fight harder to protect children.  A good starting place is to root out those among us who are posing as trusted adults.

Patrick Noaker is an attorney with the Jeff Anderson law firm in St. Paul, Minnesota who handles represents survivors of sexual abuse, exploitation and other crimes.  He can be reached at patrick@andersonadvocates.com or by calling (651) 227-9990.

This week police in Florida arrested a level 3 sex offender on child pornography charges and found that he may have used Xbox Live to make contact with children. This is not the first time that Xbox Live has been reported to be the new “playground” for sexual predators. See Child Pornography Hid Behind Xbox Live “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2” – Forbes Magazine 11/4/11; Xbox Gaming System Used By Disney Employee to Solicit Child Porn – ChildProtectionNews.com 9/2/10. These stories always send a shiver down my spine.

Kids love Xbox Live. Xbox Live is more of a place than a video game. Using Xbox Live, a user can choose a video game and play in that game setting against kids from around the world in real time with graphics and sound so real that it feels as though they are actually there. During the game, kids can speak with each other and act as a team in the game. It is unbelievable. Many parents feel a tension between the safety of their child and allowing their child to enjoy such a fun experience. With a little effort, parents can improve their child’s safety while still allowing their child to play in the Xbox Live world. Just as we would not ban children from going down slides or climbing on monkey bars because child predators are known to visit playgrounds to locate possible victims, we do not have to take that approach with Xbox Live.

Some of the same rules that apply to your neighborhood playground apply to the Xbox playground. For example, parents supervise their children on the neighborhood playground to insure that the child is not playing on equipment designed for older children and that the child is not interacting with kids or adults who might pose a danger. The same is true in the Xbox playground. Xbox has parental controls that allow parents to control the ratings and content of games that are played on the Xbox console. (See specifics below) In addition, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children recommends keeping the Xbox console in a common area of the home so that you can supervise its use.

The Center also recommends playing games with younger children and use opportunities to teach your child safe gaming and internet use. Teach your child to immediately report to you if someone interacts with them in a way that makes him or her uncomfortable or invites him or her to meet outside of the game. Xbox has a mechanism to immediately report this behavior so that the offender’s account can be suspended. Make sure that your child never discloses his or her real name, age or other identifying information such as email addresses, cell phone numbers or home addresses. Never send photographs through the Xbox file sharing function or using their cell phone and to report to you when anyone requests a photograph or video chat. Following these simple rules, can make a big difference in keeping your kids safe on Xbox Live.

Another playground rule that has application in the Xbox playgound is limiting the amount and times of day that your child plays the Live games. Just as you would not allow your child to go to the neighborhood playground at 11:00 p.m. at night, you should not allow your child to go to the Xbox Live playground at that time either. Xbox parental controls have controls that limit the time of day that the Xbox console can be used. (See below.) Xbox also has parental controls that limit use to a certain number of hours per day or week and the ability to limit access to the Xbox Live function. Take the time to set these parental controls and have the peace of mind that your child will not put his or her safety at risk.

Using the Xbox parental controls and following these simple guidelines will provide ways for your kids to enjoy what is great about Xbox Live while at the same time protecting them from some of the dangers.

About the author: Patrick Noaker is an attorney with the law firm of Jeff Anderson & Associates who handles cases involving child sexual abuse, exploitation and pornography.

If you are interested in setting the parental controls on your Xbox console, here are the instructions from the Xbox website:

How do I turn on parental controls? Parental controls are divided into two groups: console controls and online safety and privacy. Console controls are located in the Family Settings or Family Center area on your console (depending on your Xbox LIVE membership type).

Turn on console controls

1. On your console, go to My Xbox, and then select Family Center or Family Settings (depending on your Xbox LIVE membership type). Tip Not seeing Family Center or Family Settings? You might be using an older version of the console software. See Update your Xbox 360 console software for information on how to update your console software.

2. Select Console Safety.

3. Select On to turn on Console Safety.

4. Enter a 4-button pass code using your controller.

5. Select Save and Exit. Once Console Safety is turned on, you can explore the individual parental controls such as Ratings and Content.

Gerald "Jerry" Sandusky sits in a car as he leaves the office of Center County Magisterial District Judge Leslie A. Dutchcot, Nov. 5, 2011, in State College, Pa. Andy Colwell/The Patriot-News/AP

St. Paul, Minnesota.  This last week officials at Penn State University were indicted on charges of perjury for their role in concealing the  sexual abuse of a child by assistant coach Jerry Sandusky.  Sandusky enjoyed the reputation as being one of the best defensive coaches in the nation and the architect of the famous “linebacker U” named for the number of pro-level linebackers who trained under Sandusky.

In a 40 count criminal indictment, a Pennsylvania grand jury charged Sandusky and other Penn State officials with 40 criminal violations relating to Sandusky’s sexual abuse of 8 boys over a 15-year period, and the cover-up of those crimes .   According to the grand jury report, Sandusky accessed each of the victims through a youth services foundation named The Second Mile that Sandusky established to help disadvantaged children.

In 2002, a Penn State graduate assistant coach observed Sandusky assaulting a naked young boy in a shower at the Penn State Football facility.  When the graduate assistant reported the assault to head football coach Joe Paterno, who relayed a minimized version of the assault to the Penn State Athletic Director, Tim Curley.  Later, the graduate assistant met directly with Curley and Senior Vice President Gary Schultz and explained what he had observed (Sandusky sodomizing the young boy).   Both A.D. Curly and Sr. V.P. Schultz buried the report.  No police report was filed.  No one attempted to find the boy who was being sodomized.  Sandusky was allowed to continue to have access to children through The Second Mile.   Under the indictment, Curly, Schultz and another former recruiting coordinator, were charged with perjury for lying to the grand jury about their knowledge of the sexual assault and with failing to report the sexual assault to law enforcement authorities.

This is an especially sad, but familiar, story.  Disadvantaged children being sexually abused by powerful people who are protected by even more powerful people.  How is it possible for employees of an institution whose mission is to educate and mentor kids to cover-up the sexual assault of a child without giving a single thought about the child?  Where is that boy now?  I hope that someone knows and has been able to provide him some help.

About the Author:  Patrick Noaker is an attorney in St. Paul, Minnesota with the law firm of Jeff Anderson & Associates who handles cases involving childhood sexual abuse, pornography and exploitation as well as cases involving other crimes.

Ken Bear Chief helps Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate plaintiffs in South Dakota obtain records from the orphanage where they were confined as children

Recent news reports remind us that Native American communities have been disproportionately impacted by childhood sexual abuse.  Recent efforts by some Native American communities to prevent suicide in their Native communities, unfortunately highlights the high costs associated with child sexual abuse.  In an effort to take action to both prevent child sexual abuse and to help children who have been sexually victimized, some Native American advocates have pushed tribal councils to adopt child protection laws.  Advocate Ken Bear Chief from Yakima, Washington has made it his cause to encourage Native American Tribal communities to adopt strong child protection laws to combat this major problem in the Native American communities.  Listen to the ChildProtectionNews.com podcast to learn how advocate Ken Bear Chief wants to change the laws to better protect kids.

About the author:  Patrick Noaker is an attorney with the law firm of Jeff Anderson & Associates who handles cases involving child sexual abuse, exploitation and pornography.  Patrick is a regular contributor to the ChildProtectionNews.com blog and the host of the ChildProtectionNews.com podcast.

Attorney Patrick Noaker interviews Native American Child Protection Advocate Ken Bear Chief