Lauren Book’s children’s pediatrician arrested for CP.
Let’s preface this post by saying we strongly condemn the actions this pediatrician is accused of. We hope Senator Book’s children, and all the former patients of this doctor, are safe and were not harmed.
A popular South Florida pediatrician was arrested and charged with three felonies. Among the crimes he is charged with is possession of child pornography and online solicitation of a minor. In an online post, Senator Lauren Book wrote, “This was my child’s pediatrician. I had no idea. No alarm bells went off. Nothing. Let this serve as a warning – ANYONE can be a predator, regardless of profession, level of education, interpersonal skills, zip code, etc. If I can be caught off guard, anyone can.”
The Senator’s own comments make the point that we’ve been trying to make for years. Perpetrators of sex crimes can by ANYONE. Not only that, but in the overwhelming majority of cases it is someone known to the victim, such as a teacher, coach, friend or family member. As Sen. Book sadly and unfortunately knows, it can even be the nanny hired by your parents to care for you, or the pediatrician you brought your own children to.
If we focus attention and resources on a stupid list, we are diverting focus from the more likely perpetrators and creating a false sense of security. Instead of telling parents to check the registry in advance of Halloween and implying children will somehow be safe, we should be telling parents to accompany their child to every single door they knock on.
Instead of investing so much time and money into perpetually punishing former offenders, we instead need to apply those resources towards prevention. Instead of investing so many resources into perpetuating stranger danger myths and other nonsense, we need to focus on education. Education based on actual best practices and empirical research, not misinformation.
The sex offender registry gets this so wrong!
Discover more from Florida Action Committee (FAC)
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Unfortunately I don’t think she will take any of the points she herself made to heart. I believe this will be just another person she knew or thought she knew that can be further used to fuel her ire
With child porn being so pervasive, there really needs to be a fundamental shift in how society deals with these behaviors. Many who demonize offenders refuse to acknowledge the reality of sexual or porn addictions. With no support in the community, these persons are forced deeper into the shadows, where the seeds of criminal outcomes are formed. We would do better as a society with applying behavioral health strategies rather than dumping people in the garbage heap of the justice system.
As a recovering porn addict and sex addict who is wrongfully convicted of his sex crimes and who is not ashamed to admit that I go to Celebrate Recovery and Sex Addicts Anonymous and I work the 12 Steps for my own addiction recovery. The government needs to stop prosecuting addiction and needs to let mental health/social services/12 Step programs to deal with addiction recovery.
@ James:
In response to: “With child porn being so pervasive, there really needs to be a fundamental shift in how society deals with these behaviors.”
I think the first step should be for the FBU and ICAC and their state counterparts to stop distributing it.
The last line of this article says it best “The sex offender registry gets this so wrong!” Which if we have learned anything from past policies means our favorite senator is about to demand yet more inclusive registration lists not less.
God help us, the fire may have been lit with a new and improved match.
Sen. Book is incapable of preventing sex crimes— even those taking place under her nose.
(Dropping my phone on the floor).
Once again, the accused was NOT ON THE REGISTRY!. Maybe that tidbit will sink in to Lauren Book and her ilk because this case shows that the registry is useless at protecting children, including hers.
That is not correct. We need to get this right.
This does not show that the Hit Lists are useless. It only shows that they don’t prevent all crimes (assuming this person is guilty, and we can, just for example).
It does certainly show that the Hit Lists aren’t enough to protect people. But that doesn’t matter. The question is – are the Hit Lists useful enough and worth their problems?
The answer to that is “no”. And there is no doubt. No person who actually cares about public safety or protecting children, and is informed, moral, and serious about it, thinks that the Hit Lists should exist. Not one single person. Not Lauren Book. Not one.
The Hit Lists are not for public safety and are counterproductive. But Americans are not strong or smart enough to get rid of them.