http://www.al.com/news/mobileregister/index.ssf?/base/news/1083403000120270.xml

This is a link to an article about a former professor of mine indicted on child pornography charges. He is expected to plead guilty. He was chairman of the department when I was in school and I had recently been in email contact with him to get him to write a letter of recommendation for me to get into the doctoral program in Communication Disorders here at LSU. So...I have a letter of recommendation from a child pornographer sitting on a desk somewhere at LSU. Ugh!!! Nice guy----never would have guessed it. He has a wife and kids who must be suffering terribly. There was some concern about him and the kids who came in and out of the speech clinic at school, but he really didn't have much involvement in the speech clinic (more teaching and administrative duties) and it was always so busy with lots of one-way glass/mirrors for observation that I don't see how anything could have happened at school. It just makes me sick!!!

By Momaroze on Saturday, May 1, 2004 - 11:30 am:

Same situation with a former teacher of mine, years back. He sticks out in my mind because I remember him as being one of the nicest teachers I have ever had! Not only was he a good teacher he was also very thoughtful...I would never have thought in a million years what kind of person he was behind closed doors.

Very sick stuff!

What an awfully difficult situation for that family!

By Boxzgrl on Saturday, May 1, 2004 - 11:51 am:

My sisters history teacher was arrested 2 years after she had him for child pornography, with kids she knew!!! Very scary and difficult for my family. I can only imagine how his wife/kids feel about their husband/father being a pervert!

By Mommmie on Saturday, May 1, 2004 - 01:13 pm:

Wow. You just never know.

By Ginny~moderator on Saturday, May 1, 2004 - 07:53 pm:

That is the really sad and scary thing about pedophiles. They like children and like to be around them (not just for sex but that follows if there is an opportunity) and seem usually to be "very good" with children. And they often gravitate to work that has them being around children. That's why it is so important to talk to your children, really early and really often, about good touch / bad touch, and try as gently but firmly as possible to help them to understand that even if the nicest person touches them in a bad touch way they should immediately go away from that person and tell you. Parents of young children are in a real bind (and always have been - we just didn't know it before). We don't want to make our children afraid of everyone, but want them to be able to know when wrong things are happening.

I am remembering the post where a mom said that her pediatrician deliberately asked her for permission to touch the child and told the child that s/he should never let anyone touch in personal areas who didn't have mom's permission. I was very impressed by that, and wish all pediatricians would do that.

By Janet on Thursday, May 6, 2004 - 09:37 am:

I'm so sorry Pam... what a disillusionment for all involved. I have a friend who found out her husband has a porn addiction, and he is a well-respected member of the community, good dad, great friend, etc... it's been rough. I can barely look him in the eye anymore, despite the fact he's been in counseling and all. It just changes everything.