The concept itself is twisted enough, but reference books say nothing about the devastating damage a pedophile can do to the emotional and physical well being of a child. That testimony is left to the children and adults whose lives have been destroyed or greatly impaired by contact with a pedophile. Today's child molester is no longer the dirty old man who snatches children from parks, playgrounds and schoolyards.
Pedophiles come from every profession, social and economic level of humanity.
They teach us, lead us, judge us, lend us money, build our homes, dig our ditches and guide our spiritual growth. They are in the world and, for the most part, unrecognizable. The Internet provides a new and more dangerous forum for pedophiles. With its anonymity, the Web brings the predator into a child's home and into his life. Posing as a youngster's peer or a slightly older person, a pedophile usually takes time to gain the child's confidence, to make him or her a friend.