Child Injury Lawyer Blog
By David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network
Churches and schools should be safe havens for children to learn and grow. Unfortunately, children are sometimes targeted by teachers, volunteers, and other adults who meet children at the church or school. For the most part, churches and schols are safe havens filled with staff member and volunteers who properly supervise and care for the children. There are some “bad apples” out there who use their position of trust and power to improperly take advantage of the very children under their supervision. Many predators get away with this horrid acts while others get caught before their master plans hatch into a harmful act against the vulnerable child.
Background checks by churches, school, and day care centers can help weed out those individuals who have a propensity to prey on children. A prior employment check can also help keep dangerous individuals out of the facilty. Some employers even go as far to give personality test and require a degree or special training to make sure that the invidual hired or accepted as a volunteer is a right fit for the position. Of course, some predators slip through the system because they have not been caught or criminally prosecuted before. Furthermore, some predators are very smart and crafty and are effective in fooling many people before acting uppon their improper and criminal impulses and desires.
When a child is injured or harmed as a result of the negligent or careless acts of others, it is often helpful to get advice, consultation, and legal representation from a Child Injury Lawyer. In many instances, the rogue teacher, aide, or volunteeer is prosecuted criminally by the local State attorney and Sheriff’s office. Depending on the facts and circumstances, a civil case may be a viable course of action against the teacher, aide, or volunteer AND the school, church, or day care center. The book titled – The ABCs of Child Injury – Legal Rights of the Injured Child – What Every Parent Should Know – has chapters on School Injuries, Day Care Center Injuries, Damages / Compensation, Child Abuse / Neglect, and other topics. Get this book for free at The ABCs of Child Injury.
In Mountain Grove, Missouri, a 21 year old Sunday School teacher was recently charged with a felony count involving the plan or intent to meet a 14 year old for sex. Police intercepted text messages between the 21 year old and a 14 year old girl. The teacher planned to meet the girl at a park and then have sex with her according to Douglas County Sheriff’s Office. Of course, the Sunday School teacher is entitled to legal representation by the public defender’s office or a private criminal defense attorney. If the text messages are admitted in to evidence and proved to be from the Sunday School teacher, it will be tough to defend his actions or intent assuming that the text messages spell out his criminal intent. Fortunately, police (rather than the 14 year old girl) arrested the teacher before the scheme went further. According to news reports, the teacher confessed to prior sex acts with a 12 year old and a 16 year old. Police are investigating the prior acts of the teacher further to determine if other charges will be filed and pursued. See Sunday School Teacher Charged with Felony County of Enticement of a Child.