The American Centurians
03-30-2007, 11:32 PM
"WARNING: DANGEROUS ANIMALS!"
There is nothing more horrendous than I can imagine than waking up one morning to discover that your young child is missing from the house. There is no bigger nightmare than wondering why your young child has never returned from school or the playground down the street. Unfortunately such nightmares have occurred and have become a reality to many parents today. The fact is that our young boys and girls have become the prey of sadistic animals on the prowl everyday for the right opportunity to seize a child and drag that child away to it’s lair. Many times the child is found and the animal captured or killed. However, there are many other times when the results are not so pleasant. The animals which stalk and prey on these innocent and helpless children cannot be fully described as they come in all different looks, shapes and sizes. The animals are not tigers, lions or wolves, which are easy to recognize, they are humans!
Humans who could be your next door neighbor, home repairman, relative, co-worker, or anyone else. They do not fit any specific physical description. They prowl around neighborhoods looking for their prey and will strike when the opportunity is right. It is a nightmare which has become a reality in today’s world.
In July 1994, little 7 year old Megan Kanka was abducted, raped and murdered by her neighbor Jesse Timmendequas in the small town of Hamilton, New Jersey. Little Megan had been outside playing when she was lured into the house by the desire to see the predator’s new baby puppy. The predator raped the little girl and then strangled her to death. He put her in his car, placed her body in a toybox and dumped it in a nearby park. He was eventually arrested, convicted and sentenced to death.
On a sunny day in January 1996, 9 year old Amber Hagerman was riding her bike on the street in front of her home. A neighbor heard the girl scream as a man pulled her off her bike, threw her into his pickup truck and drove away. Four days after her abduction, the little girl was found dead in a ditch just four miles from her home with her throat slit. The animal who committed this obscene act has never been found. He is still roaming the streets. What this little girl must have thought during her time with this animal is not even imaginable.
Late one evening in February 2002, 7 year old Danielle Van Dam, was abducted from her bedroom by a neighbor. The neighbor, David Westerfield was a professional design engineer who was divorced with children of his own. Each day he went to work in a white shirt and tie and was always friendly to his neighbors. He crept into Danielle’s house while she was asleep, abducted her and took her to his parked recreation vehicle at his house. For the next fews days he drove around state parks with little Danielle held hostage inside while he brutally raped and molested her. He eventually killed her and dumped the body. Westerfield was subsequently arrested and convicted for the crime. However, no punishment will ever bring back this child or erase the torment she must have endured at the hands of this animal.
Late one evening in February 2005, little Jessica Lunsford, while asleep in her bed was abducted by a neighbor John Couey. He took her to his mobile home and kept her hostage for several days. During this time, Couey molested and raped her many times. He then killed her by wrapping her in garbage bags and burying her alive. Couey lived only 100 yards from the little girl’s home while police searched for her. Couey was eventually arrested, convicted and sentenced to death.
In March 2007, 6 year old Christopher Barrios Jr. of Brunswick, Georgia was playing at a friend’s house and walking down the street back to his home. He was allegedly abducted by a family who lived in the neighborhood and saw the young boy walking home by himself. This pack of animals known as the Edenfields was composed of a father, 58, mother, 57, and an adult son. They allegedly grabbed the child, held him hostage in their home, and routinely tortured, molested and raped him as each watched. All three have been arrested for the crime and pending trial; however, young Christopher has yet to be found.
According to the Department of Justice, there are approximately 4,600 children abducted by strangers every year or an average of 12 children per day nationwide. This statistic does not include the number of attempted or considered abductions by the predators. Some children are recovered–others not! These are not children kidnapped by relatives or spouses feuding over child custody. These are abductions by strangers. 74% of abducted children who are murdered are killed within 3 hours. In 80% of the cases, the initial contact between the child and the molester occurred within 1/4 mile of the home of the child. The majority of abductions are the result of opportunity. A scary television documentary with the cooperation of a child sex offender demonstrated how these predators virtually roam through communities and neighborhoods simply looking for child prey and proper opportunities to grab a child. It becomes an obsession just waiting to happen. It is only a question of when and who. The scary part of this whole scenario is how many predators are out there? Who are they? Where are they? The answer is no one really knows!
As a result of child kidnappings and murders, several laws have been passed to help recover abducted children. "The Amber Alert" (also known as America’s Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response Plan) is a program where immediate information on the child, the possible abductor and any suspected vehicle is transmitted to the public on radio and television as well as electronic messages on highway billboards and signs. "Jessica’s Law" was enacted initially by Florida and subsequently passed or being considered in 42 other states in an effort to punish child sex predators and reduce their ability to re-offend against another child. The key provisions of the law require mandatory minimum sentencing of 25 years imprisonment and lifetime electronic monitoring for those convicted of lewd and lascivious acts against a victim less than 12 years old. In addition, the law requires that the sexual battery, rape or murder of a child be punished by death or life imprisonment. "Megan’s Law" is a federal law passed in 1996 which essentially requires each state to register individuals convicted of sex crimes against children; keep track of their whereabouts; and make the personal information of each offender accessible to the public.
As I was writing this article, I had to stop and take a break. My thoughts became overwhelmed with the image of my 7 year old and 5 year old granddaughters. My imagination put them in the place of Megan, Amber, Danielle, Jessica and Christopher. My imagination had me look out the window one day to see the kids not in the yard playing as expected. They were gone and no one knew where. I virtually became sick thinking of my little ones in the hands of the same sick animals who had tortured, raped and killed Megan, Amber and the other children. It was then that I realized the torment of both the child and her loved ones–a torment which not even time could ever erase from your memory. I hope that such a trauma will never happen to my grandchildren. I hope that no other child will ever again have to endure the nightmare of being held hostage by one of these sick predators roaming around the street. However, I know that this nightmare may become reality and occur to some innocent child today or tomorrow. I know that there are these animals currently out on the streets prowling around, looking for prey and ready to strike when given the right opportunity.
I would encourage all parents to check with your local law enforcement agencies, both state and city, and review the area sex offender registry to determine if any offenders live in your neighborhoods or local area. I would also encourage all loved ones of our little children to use caution and commonsense in protecting the kids–paranoia is neither healthy for us or them. I would encourage each of you to insure that your state has both implemented and enforces the Amber Alert program, Megan’s Law and Jessica’s Law. If not, why not? Most of all I would encourage us to pray that our innocent little ones never become a victim of these vicious animals disguised as humans. Some look like wolves and others look like lambs, but all are dangerous and unpredictable!
My thoughts this week to America to simply think about!
Alan
www.theamericancenturians.com
There is nothing more horrendous than I can imagine than waking up one morning to discover that your young child is missing from the house. There is no bigger nightmare than wondering why your young child has never returned from school or the playground down the street. Unfortunately such nightmares have occurred and have become a reality to many parents today. The fact is that our young boys and girls have become the prey of sadistic animals on the prowl everyday for the right opportunity to seize a child and drag that child away to it’s lair. Many times the child is found and the animal captured or killed. However, there are many other times when the results are not so pleasant. The animals which stalk and prey on these innocent and helpless children cannot be fully described as they come in all different looks, shapes and sizes. The animals are not tigers, lions or wolves, which are easy to recognize, they are humans!
Humans who could be your next door neighbor, home repairman, relative, co-worker, or anyone else. They do not fit any specific physical description. They prowl around neighborhoods looking for their prey and will strike when the opportunity is right. It is a nightmare which has become a reality in today’s world.
In July 1994, little 7 year old Megan Kanka was abducted, raped and murdered by her neighbor Jesse Timmendequas in the small town of Hamilton, New Jersey. Little Megan had been outside playing when she was lured into the house by the desire to see the predator’s new baby puppy. The predator raped the little girl and then strangled her to death. He put her in his car, placed her body in a toybox and dumped it in a nearby park. He was eventually arrested, convicted and sentenced to death.
On a sunny day in January 1996, 9 year old Amber Hagerman was riding her bike on the street in front of her home. A neighbor heard the girl scream as a man pulled her off her bike, threw her into his pickup truck and drove away. Four days after her abduction, the little girl was found dead in a ditch just four miles from her home with her throat slit. The animal who committed this obscene act has never been found. He is still roaming the streets. What this little girl must have thought during her time with this animal is not even imaginable.
Late one evening in February 2002, 7 year old Danielle Van Dam, was abducted from her bedroom by a neighbor. The neighbor, David Westerfield was a professional design engineer who was divorced with children of his own. Each day he went to work in a white shirt and tie and was always friendly to his neighbors. He crept into Danielle’s house while she was asleep, abducted her and took her to his parked recreation vehicle at his house. For the next fews days he drove around state parks with little Danielle held hostage inside while he brutally raped and molested her. He eventually killed her and dumped the body. Westerfield was subsequently arrested and convicted for the crime. However, no punishment will ever bring back this child or erase the torment she must have endured at the hands of this animal.
Late one evening in February 2005, little Jessica Lunsford, while asleep in her bed was abducted by a neighbor John Couey. He took her to his mobile home and kept her hostage for several days. During this time, Couey molested and raped her many times. He then killed her by wrapping her in garbage bags and burying her alive. Couey lived only 100 yards from the little girl’s home while police searched for her. Couey was eventually arrested, convicted and sentenced to death.
In March 2007, 6 year old Christopher Barrios Jr. of Brunswick, Georgia was playing at a friend’s house and walking down the street back to his home. He was allegedly abducted by a family who lived in the neighborhood and saw the young boy walking home by himself. This pack of animals known as the Edenfields was composed of a father, 58, mother, 57, and an adult son. They allegedly grabbed the child, held him hostage in their home, and routinely tortured, molested and raped him as each watched. All three have been arrested for the crime and pending trial; however, young Christopher has yet to be found.
According to the Department of Justice, there are approximately 4,600 children abducted by strangers every year or an average of 12 children per day nationwide. This statistic does not include the number of attempted or considered abductions by the predators. Some children are recovered–others not! These are not children kidnapped by relatives or spouses feuding over child custody. These are abductions by strangers. 74% of abducted children who are murdered are killed within 3 hours. In 80% of the cases, the initial contact between the child and the molester occurred within 1/4 mile of the home of the child. The majority of abductions are the result of opportunity. A scary television documentary with the cooperation of a child sex offender demonstrated how these predators virtually roam through communities and neighborhoods simply looking for child prey and proper opportunities to grab a child. It becomes an obsession just waiting to happen. It is only a question of when and who. The scary part of this whole scenario is how many predators are out there? Who are they? Where are they? The answer is no one really knows!
As a result of child kidnappings and murders, several laws have been passed to help recover abducted children. "The Amber Alert" (also known as America’s Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response Plan) is a program where immediate information on the child, the possible abductor and any suspected vehicle is transmitted to the public on radio and television as well as electronic messages on highway billboards and signs. "Jessica’s Law" was enacted initially by Florida and subsequently passed or being considered in 42 other states in an effort to punish child sex predators and reduce their ability to re-offend against another child. The key provisions of the law require mandatory minimum sentencing of 25 years imprisonment and lifetime electronic monitoring for those convicted of lewd and lascivious acts against a victim less than 12 years old. In addition, the law requires that the sexual battery, rape or murder of a child be punished by death or life imprisonment. "Megan’s Law" is a federal law passed in 1996 which essentially requires each state to register individuals convicted of sex crimes against children; keep track of their whereabouts; and make the personal information of each offender accessible to the public.
As I was writing this article, I had to stop and take a break. My thoughts became overwhelmed with the image of my 7 year old and 5 year old granddaughters. My imagination put them in the place of Megan, Amber, Danielle, Jessica and Christopher. My imagination had me look out the window one day to see the kids not in the yard playing as expected. They were gone and no one knew where. I virtually became sick thinking of my little ones in the hands of the same sick animals who had tortured, raped and killed Megan, Amber and the other children. It was then that I realized the torment of both the child and her loved ones–a torment which not even time could ever erase from your memory. I hope that such a trauma will never happen to my grandchildren. I hope that no other child will ever again have to endure the nightmare of being held hostage by one of these sick predators roaming around the street. However, I know that this nightmare may become reality and occur to some innocent child today or tomorrow. I know that there are these animals currently out on the streets prowling around, looking for prey and ready to strike when given the right opportunity.
I would encourage all parents to check with your local law enforcement agencies, both state and city, and review the area sex offender registry to determine if any offenders live in your neighborhoods or local area. I would also encourage all loved ones of our little children to use caution and commonsense in protecting the kids–paranoia is neither healthy for us or them. I would encourage each of you to insure that your state has both implemented and enforces the Amber Alert program, Megan’s Law and Jessica’s Law. If not, why not? Most of all I would encourage us to pray that our innocent little ones never become a victim of these vicious animals disguised as humans. Some look like wolves and others look like lambs, but all are dangerous and unpredictable!
My thoughts this week to America to simply think about!
Alan
www.theamericancenturians.com