Is Mom a Bad Parent for Not Finding Pedophile in Her House?
Hot tipper Diamond sent this story to me. Frankly, I’m reluctant to blog it here. I’ve decided to put it up with a giant question mark. It seems unbelievable at first glance. 22-year-old Scott Jennings is charged with child sexual abuse. He had easy access for his assaults: his 12-year-old victim helped him cut a hole under her divan bed, where he lived for three months. Jennings eventually grew tired of the cramped quarters and took the girl back to his flat in Manchester, where police busted him.
I ask you, dear reader: Would you have known that a pedophile was living in your house? On the one hand, I can’t imagine that you wouldn’t notice the subtle disturbances - the small sounds he made in his hideaway, the missing food, the change in your child’s demeanor, the damage to the bed. How could you not know that something was off? On the other hand, if this had happened to my daughter, I can’t declare with 100% righteousness that I would’ve found the bastard out.
What say you? Is this a case of neglectful parenting…or a horror story that should give every parent pause?
Tags: ashton-under-lyne, children, England, kids, manchester, mother, parenting, parents, rape, sexual-abuseRelated Stories
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10 opinions for Is Mom a Bad Parent for Not Finding Pedophile in Her House?
MCA
Nov 25, 2006 at 2:45 pm
That’s pretty creepy, a “Tales from the Crypt” story. It does make you think next time your child tells you there is a monster under the bed, you may want to actually check.
It is hard to believe a 12 year old could keep a secret for three months.
Aerik Knapp-Loomis
Nov 25, 2006 at 4:31 pm
How the hell did that guy even think up such a plot, much less have the confidence to follow through knowing he could get away with it?
teresa dennywilliams
Nov 25, 2006 at 9:18 pm
Well, yeah, I always check under my kid’s bed for possible pedophiles. And in the closets, and the attic, and the cellar, and under my kitchen sink, ’cause you know the little creeps just get into everything. Seriously, how could the mom have ever thought of something like that? If I’d noticed my daughter was acting strangely, I’d never have thought the source of the problem was hiding under her bed. That’s out there in bizarro-world. As for noise, missing food, damage to the bed, etc.,-ummm, you’ve got kids in the house….why would you look for any other explanation?
Karen Rani
Nov 25, 2006 at 9:58 pm
After Googling Scott (not Mark) Jennings, I found all kinds of stories about this. Just goes to show how some parents don’t pay attention to their kids. Wow.
Endersdragon
Nov 26, 2006 at 4:10 am
Hmmm I would certianly suspect she was hiding a dog before a human, thats just crazy.
Emari
Nov 26, 2006 at 6:21 pm
I say horror story. It’s just not within the realm of things that you’d normally worry about.
katie ro
Nov 28, 2006 at 9:34 am
I doubt very seriously I would have thought to check for perverts under the bed, but what shocks me so much is that they pulled if off for so long. That’s even crazier then the time I found I discovered Gary Busey hiding behind the dryer.
Becca.
Dec 1, 2006 at 6:12 am
An acquaintance’s grown brother spent an entire winter living in a cabinet in a storage room in his parent’s house without their knowing. (Why, I have no idea.)
As Teresa said, missing food and strange noises, as well as different behaviour would make any sane parent first think “teenager” before they thought “a-ha! There must be a child molester hiding in the house!”
riss
Jan 18, 2007 at 3:41 am
this is crazy.
Matt
May 10, 2007 at 1:17 pm
I wish i was the guy hiding :)
Seriously, who would think ah-ah - my daughter is hiding a phaedophile under the bed. Didn’t they hear the Ooh Aah noises at night?
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