Finally! We will be able to know who is who when is about the safety of our children. In case you didn't know here is a tip for you:
The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicle has issued as August 1Th 2007 new Driver Licenses and ID's for sexual predators and sex offenders. A number appears on the lower right corner of their DL (943.0435 F.S. for predators and 775.21 F.S. for sex offenders).
This information will make much easier to recognize these criminals in a traffic stop and will alert Law Enforcement in the event that the predator is accompanied by a minor. In the past there have been cases when a predator had been stopped for a traffic violation while the abducted child was a passenger in the vehicle. Can you imagine how many lives will be saved by this new way to identify these monsters? Anything is worth to save our children's precious lives!
Sometimes these predators live close to schools or churches as roommates under someone else's lease or they established relationships with women and men that are not careful enough to run a background check on the person they have chosen as their boyfriend or girlfriend, even when they will be sharing the same roof with their kids!
Not too long ago we discovered that a sexual predator not registered, from Texas, was living just a few feet away from the school. The lady that lived on that apartment had rented a room to him and she had 3 little girls! This was one of our lucky cases when we got this criminal just on time before he could hurt another child.
We are living in very hard time for our children, they are always threatened and we have the duty to protect them and I am not only talking about Law Enforcement, but everyone in the community! Here are some of the signs to look for when you are looking for a caregiver or a roommate:
1) The person comes from another state and advises you that he (she) doesn't have a DL. Always check with your Law Enforcement Agency, they should be able to run a check for you. Don't just receive anybody in your house, especially if your have kids!
2) Ask for references or a written notarized piece of paper which should include the name, address, and phone number of someone that knows your new roommate. Check this person's background as well as he (she) could be another predator.
3) Never give your child's information to anyone and teach your kids not to trust anyone! A lot of predators are not registered but this doesn' t mean they can not hurt your children. In times like this when predators are a society now and don't stay locked up long enough is better to be safe than sorry. Did you know that the majority of child sexual abuse cases involve people that are around your kids and who are trusted not only by them but by you too? They could be friends of the family, a minister, a relative, a teacher...Please teach your kids not to trust anyone and always to tell you where and who they are with.
4) Establish a good communication channel with your kids and let them know that they can tell anything! Do this before it is too late. Abused kids usually feel unashamed by what they have done. Predators are not only casual criminals, they are a well organized society that blends among us, and they use all kind of mind strategies to subdue our children to their diabolic needs. They will control you child's mind by fear, threat and guilt. Teach your kids to trust you!
5) Don' t be afraid to say NO if you notice that someone is always offering to take care of your kids or to pick them up from school because "you don't have time". Predators are charming and even good looking! They will fool you being extra nice with you while they abuse your kids in your absence. Some parents won't even listen if their kids start saying something "bad" about that person, because they are too comfortable with that help while they work or have something else to do. Please listen to your kids!
Finally, teach your kids that if someone is doing something to them that they feel is wrong is because IT IS WRONG! And they need to tell you immediately! Let them know that if you are not available at that moment, they need to call the police and seek for help as soon as they can.