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CNN Saturday Morning News

Interview With Julie Medlin, Valerie Reicheg

Aired June 15, 2002 - 08:17   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Sex abuse scandal plaguing the Catholic Church is just one institution where adults prey on children. One researcher says kids in the classroom are also targeted by teachers and other school officials. Last hour, we talked about how to protect your kids. Now we want to understand the abuser. Reporter Seema Mathur interviewed a 47-year-old teacher convicted of molesting a 12-year-old student, who was sentenced to seven months in jail and 10 years probation. As part of that probation, he is required to get counseling. The child molester's identity has been disguised.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I am getting treatment for the crime of child molestation. I have been in therapy for three years.

SEEMA MATHUR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And your job was as a teacher?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was a schoolteacher, yes.

MATHUR: What did your other colleagues, teachers and administrators think about you?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They thought I was a model person, a model teacher. I had student teachers working underneath me from three or four different colleges. I won all kinds of teaching awards.

MATHUR: And all this was going on while you had what in your mind about students?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: During this time, and even going back, even going back to student teaching, there was this curiosity and this need to be sexually aroused by children, primarily girls. It started off very simple. It was just a look. From the very first day she walked in the classroom, it was just a look. And immediately, picking up on any type of emotional problems. One of the things that sex offenders do is they look for the weak spots.

MATHUR: How did you get her trust?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, through a lot of -- there was a lot -- there was a lot of different methods. One of them was notes. Understand, during this time that I was preparing myself to sexually molest her, I was grooming 15, 20 other children, meaning that I was going through the process of elimination. MATHUR: How did you finally progress to physical?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was just -- it was all a pack of lies. It was -- it was one lie after another. I was able to convince her to go places with me. Something as simple as taking her home from school. And teachers do it all the time. It's a very dangerous thing to do. And I say that for the students -- I'm not even supporting teachers on this.

There was an incident where I took her. I didn't take her home. We went somewhere else. I molested her there. There was an incident where I was even able to get her parents to believe that I was going to take her to go get something to eat, and I took her somewhere else and molested her there. There was an incident even in the classroom, during planning time, where I would reach across the table and hold her hand, and during this whole time, I was being aroused sexually.

MATHUR: How long did it go on before you were actually caught?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A year.

MATHUR: And how did you convince her in that time not to tell anybody?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just that. Just the words.

MATHUR: Because she had trusted you so much by that point?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. You see, that trust factor is the key. The trust along with the grooming.

MATHUR: If you knew what you were doing was wrong, and it seems like you have some type of guilt from it, why did you keep pursuing?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because it was the easiest way to get sexual satisfaction. It was easy. It wasn't a challenge. It wasn't difficult.

MATHUR: Are you cured as a sex offender?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No. A sex offender is never cured.

MATHUR: So when you see children still, are you sexually aroused?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, no. I turn away. I put myself into a state of mind where I don't need to be there. I don't look for reasons to be around children. I avoid them.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: For better understanding about why some teachers prey on children, we're joined again by psychologist Julie Medlin here in Atlanta. She works with sex abusers and victims of sexual abuse. And in New York, Valerie Reicheg, a member of Survivors of Educator Sexual Abuse and Misconduct (UNINTELLIGIBLE). She was raped by her teacher when she was a teenager. Thank you both for coming back with us.

I guess, first thing, can you be cured? This man says no. You agree with that?

JULIE MEDLIN, PSYCHOLOGIST: Absolutely. A sex offender cannot be cured. Just as with substance abuse treatment, in sex offender treatment, we teach the offender tools to help him be able to control his sexual deviancy. But ultimately it's up to the offend whether or not he wants to change and whether or not he wants to stop offending. And even if he does want to stop offending and he goes successfully through treatment, he could always re-offend in the future if there were a number of different stress routes (ph) or he would find an appropriate victim.

So, we teach them that they can never be cured, and that they should always avoid high-risk situations such as being in a position of power over children.

PHILLIPS: And don't even be around children.

MEDLIN: Right.

PHILLIPS: Valerie, this offender was talking about how he started writing notes to certain students, and it was a process of elimination. For you, how did the teacher gain your trust, and why did you trust this teacher?

VALERIE REICHEG, SEX ABUSE SURVIVOR: I'll tell you, it was actually chilling for me to be listening to him, because it sounded so similar to what was done to me. And it is amazing. Everything I've read and everyone I've spoken to, it's such a similar process. I don't know what my vulnerability was other than being very compliant and obedient, and he knew that. He tested me for the year, putting me in a lot of situations and just testing my reactions. But everything that abuser just said is very similar to what happened.

PHILLIPS: What happened to the man who abused you?

REICHEG: By the time I disclosed, it was 20 years after the incident. I had been 13 at the time, he was in his 50s. I first reported it to the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) county prosecutor's office and then New Jersey State (UNINTELLIGIBLE) office. He worked in the district for almost 30 years. He did retire from that district. From what I understand, there was some questionable circumstances around his retirement, but due to the statute of limitations being expired, he basically is free and living across the street from a school, which is very frightening.

PHILLIPS: So he was never held accountable and he is still alive?

REICHEG: As far as I know, yes.

PHILLIPS: Is there anything you can do?

REICHEG: I pursued civil litigation, and basically, they are very protected, the perpetrators, by the teachers' union. His lawyer basically told my lawyer at the time that he knew this guy was guilty, and there was nothing he could do without corroborating evidence. That's why I do speak out. We need to have other people come forward -- and usually when one does, another does, another does, because they have abused several people.

PHILLIPS: Let's get to some of these e-mails. Julie, I'm going to direct this one to you. This one comes from Kevin Porter in Maryland. "If child molesters are typically targeting children who are not as sociable as others or have low self-esteem, then it would seem to be a logical thing to try to instill self-esteem in our children."

MEDLIN: Exactly. I absolutely agree with that. I think it's an excellent recommendation, which is that child molesters tend to pick vulnerable children. They tend to pick those who are lonely or afraid or insecure, or not getting a lot of attention from their parents. So if you have a child who's fairly emotional healthy and happy and feels good about themselves, they're more likely to be able to reject an offender's advances an to tell.

REICHEG: I'm not sure that I agree totally with that, because I think they still -- they have a way to prey on you and kind of get inside of you somehow. I came from a very intact, loving family, and he still found his way in.

MEDLIN: Right. Well, I agree it's certainly by no means a cure- all. And, really, any child can be sexually abused, but I think that it might help make them a little less vulnerable in the sense that child molesters might not choose them. Just as the offender that was interviewed was saying a little while ago that he tended to pick children who were lonely or were looking for attention. They just maybe less likely to fall prey to the offender who's lavishing all of this attention on them.

PHILLIPS: Well, let's get both of you to respond to this one. This is from a mom, Paulina. She says: "Just a comment. I was a victim of sexual abuse by my father for six to eight years as a child. As a parent, I have always told my kids exactly what your gut is suggesting, I also tell them one key: If anyone ever tells you not to tell your mom, that is a signal to run and tell mom."

MEDLIN: Yes, it is. Because that is one of the things most offenders say is they say don't tell, no one will believe you. You know, things like that.

PHILLIPS: Valerie, you wanted to make a comment?

REICHEG: Yeah. I would say that's a fantastic message that we need to give all the children. That's definitely a trigger. As soon as they tell you don't tell -- and although I still think it's hard to combat that and go against that, because there's a lot of threats used maybe and coercion, but that would be the sign to, yes, run and tell. I agree 100 percent.

PHILLIPS: Before we let you go, Valerie, tell us once again about your Web site. I want folks to see it again.

REICHEG: OK. And you have it up on the screen?

PHILLIPS: Yes.

REICHEG: They can contact me directly through that, any of our other board members, the president, they can write in. We'll get them information, referrals, contacts, and it's a place to break the silence or just voice their opinions.

PHILLIPS: And from a psychological aspect, what's the best way -- is that the first thing that a child should do or a parent should is get that child to see someone like you, a psychologist?

MEDLIN: Definitely. They should come in for an evaluation. An evaluation can determine, you know, the extent of sexual abuse, can assess the child's allegations, and also the damage that has been caused by the abuse. And that will facilitate then getting the child into therapy.

PHILLIPS: Julie Medlin and Valerie Reicheg, thank you both very, very much. Not an easy subject to address, but you two were really terrific. Thank you so much.

REICHEG: Thank you, Kyra.

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