Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Parents at an upscale preschool in New York City, who wanted the absolute best for their children, and who were willing to and in the fortunate position to spend a lot of money on their education, were horrified to learn that a 22-year-old intern has been accused of sexually abusing more than a dozen children ages 4 and 5 at the school.
Malthe Thomsen, who is from Denmark, has been charged with sexually abusing 13 children at the International Preschool, which serves mostly wealthy families -- many of whom have ties to the United Nations. The accusations against him are absolutely sickening and will make you hug your kids just a little tighter today.
Thomsen was arrested last Friday after an investigation that started when a teacher at the school reported she saw him touching children in an inapprorpriate manner. Most of the victims, who were boys and girls ages 4 and 5, were reportedly told by the suspect to touch his genitals on the outside of his clothing. One child was allegedly forced to put his head against Thomsen's clothed genitals and the suspect is also thought to have rubbed the buttocks of three children.
Cops say the suspect made an hour-long confession, but that lawyers wouldn't play the tape at his court hearing because they didn't want to reveal the identities of these poor little children. Thomsen's lawyers; however, insist their client did NOT confess and that the person questioning him did so for so long that he got confused and admitted to things he didn't actually do.
The suspect has been charged with 15 counts of first-degree sexual abuse and is being held without bond.
School officials had reportedly investigated the teacher's claims against the intern when they were first brought to their attention, but they cleared him of any wrongdoing. But now, they say, they are cooperating fully with police.
It's way too soon to tell what happened in this case, but I know we're all praying this was some kind of misunderstanding and that a person put in charge of caring for our children wouldn't do something so disturbing. In the meantime, how do the parents of these children proceed? How do they explain to their kids that someone they trusted may have hurt them in the worst way possible?
And did any of the victims tell their parents what was going on? This story reminds us that, no matter how uncomfortable and unsettling it may be to do so, we have to talk to our children -- OFTEN -- about what a person is and is not allowed to do to them and to their bodies. Our hearts go out to the victims and their families and we hope there really is no truth in this horrible story.
How do you talk to your young children about their bodies and inappropriate sexual contact?
Image via EvelynGiggles/Flickr
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
