This information from the Lake County Department of Jobs and Family Services shows potential indicators, both physically and behaviorally, of sexual assault victims.
Teen sexual abuse: 9
Adult molested as a child: 4
Child sexual exploitation: 1
Child sexual abuse: 31
Child pornography: 2
Source: Lake County Prosecutor Victim Assistance Program
Over the past five years, Lake County Victim Assistance Program advocates have handled nearly 300 cases of reported child sexual abuse cases that resulted in criminal charges.
“The last reported case we had when a child was raped by a stranger was in 1988. estimates about one percent of his total cases involve sex crimes against children.
“I’m getting two or three cases a year of child offenses where there is some actual touching or worse,” said the judge.
Nationally, an estimated 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys are sexually abused before their 18th birthdays, according to Darkness to Light, a non-profit organization based in South Carolina that seeks to educate adults to prevent and recognize child sexual abuse. The median age for reported sexual abuse is 9, and most child victims never report the abuse.
Prevention tips
“In order to prevent the abuse, the adult must open their minds to the possibility that someone they know, trust and maybe even love could sexually abuse their child,” said Grant. “I’ve had cases where the child was molested in the living room while the parent was cooking dinner in the kitchen.
Experts recommend reporting your suspicions in all cases of suspected abuse, both inside and outside the immediate family. Many times, adults are afraid to report their suspicions in case they’re wrong. Grant said one trend she is seeing in Lake County is that more juveniles are abusing younger children.
Lake County has also seen a slight increase in adults who were molested as children come forward years or even decades later. In 2016, there were four adults who reported childhood sex abuse allegations.
Social media dangers
While most minor victims are molested by adults they know, parents must still be vigilant about the potential dangers involving strangers, Willowick Detective Greg Spakes said.
If you suspect a child has been or is being abused, call your local police department, Lake County Job & Family Services or the Lake County Prosecutor Victim Assistance Program’s 24-hour hotline at 440-953-5823.