Molestation of CNN Anchor...priest found guilty

[Chairmans Pig]

http://wjz.com/local/local_story_312231803.html

 

http://www.thewbalchannel.com/health/5278484/detail.html - includes video interview with Roberts

 

http://www.cnn.com/CNN/anchors_reporters/roberts.thomas.html

[Guest zipperzone]

The article states he was molested from the age of 14 until graduation. Hmmmmmmmm

 

Didn't he know how to say NO?

 

I think Anderson Cooper should interview him as an in-house effort to discover ALL the facts. Now that I would watch!

[catnip]

Good for him for pursuing his case and putting his public name on the line, and shame on zipperzone for your idiotic comments.

[OneFinger]

The article states he was molested from the age of 14 until graduation. Hmmmmmmmm

 

Didn't he know how to say NO?

 

Actually, molestation over long periods of time is not that unusual. This is especially true when the molester is an authority figure such as a priest, teacher, scout leader, or parent.

 

I've done volunteer work with support groups for adults who were molested as children. Many of them were raised in families where they were taught that children were not to question or challenge adults.

 

Kids today are much more assertive in their relationships with adults. But in the "Leave It to Beaver" days and prior to Nancy Regan's "Just Say No" campaign, kids always didn't think "No" was an option.

 

The world today is a much different place than a few years ago. What seems obvious today wasn't the "norm" 20 years ago.

 

Programs such as Stranger Danger, DARE, and other similar awareness tools in today's schools have helped kids develop a sense of empowerment. In addition, the internet has also helped make kids much more sophisticated and savvy.

 

The fact he was molested over a period of several months or even years is consistent with what I've heard and read from others who have been molested. x(

 

-------------

"We need to have more respect for each other. Things have just gone really crazy, out of control. ... We're on a very weird kind of cycle." Stevie Wonder

[Guest zipperzone]

>Good for him for pursuing his case and putting his public

>name on the line, and shame on zipperzone for your idiotic

>comments.

 

You may think my comments are idiotic - that's your perogative.

 

But I stand by what I said. If he had been molested from age 8 to 14, I would feel sorry for him. But from 14 to graduation (which could mean as old as 18 or 19) I find it hard to believe that he could not have said NO. Perhaps there was just a tinsy bit of pleasure he was getting?

 

And as for Cooper interviewing him - damn right I would watch. If you choose to turn of your TV - well once again, it's your perogative.

 

And as for "pursuing his case and putting his public name on the line" as you put it - Could it be that he thought it might just be good for his career to be so "brave"?

[BobbyB]

"Actually, molestation over long periods of time is not that unusual. This is especially true when the molester is an authority figure such as a priest, teacher, scout leader, or parent."

 

"The world today is a much different place than a few years ago. What seems obvious today wasn't the "norm" 20 years ago."

 

 

One Finger,

 

Your observations are right on the money. I had just such an experience when I was young with a youth minister at my church who was one, very smooth operator. When it finally dawned on me that I was just being used, I put a stop to it. But for the 3 years that it went on I was really clueless that his behavior was not okay because he a was such a respected member of the church who I trusted implicitly. It's hard to look back and understand, not to mention try to explain, how I could let it go on for so long, but that is the trusting nature of innocence.

 

-BobbyB

[Flower]

>Didn't he know how to say NO?

 

Aside from your insensitivity and caluosness your post demonstrates your ignorance in matters dealing with victimizaton of people--especially young people.

 

Many will tell you , if you cared to listen, that they freeze up and seem powerless to act when their molester is molesting them and this can carry over even until adulthood, which is just one of the many reasons they need therapy--when the molester has caught them at a young enough age, they will almost always feel powerless to fight him, to "just say no", or do anything but sit passively while he carrys on. Often, they put themselves into a self-imposed trance like state--almost an out of body experience so they can better deal with what is happening.

 

I have seen clients cry before being deposed or taking the witness stand or even refuse to testify against a molester, his power over them is so great.

 

So the answer to your question is not a simple one, but rarely do simpleton's understand more than siimple answers, so we'll all understand if you make another dumb comment for a retort or just say nothing.

[Guest zipperzone]

>>Didn't he know how to say NO?

>

> Aside from your insensitivity and

>caluosness your post demonstrates your ignorance in matters

>dealing with victimizaton of people--especially young people.

>

>

>Many will tell you , if you cared to listen, that they freeze

>up and seem powerless to act when their molester is molesting

>them and this can carry over even until adulthood, which is

>just one of the many reasons they need therapy--when the

>molester has caught them at a young enough age, they will

>almost always feel powerless to fight him, to "just say no",

>or do anything but sit passively while he carrys on. Often,

>they put themselves into a self-imposed trance like

>state--almost an out of body experience so they can better

>deal with what is happening.

>

>I have seen clients cry before being deposed or taking the

>witness stand or even refuse to testify against a molester,

>his power over them is so great.

>

>So the answer to your question is not a simple one, but rarely

>do simpleton's understand more than siimple answers, so we'll

>all understand if you make another dumb comment for a retort

>or just say nothing.

 

Well now Flower, oh you of superior intelect - hate to piss on your parade, but you know damn well I wouldn't shut up so therefor I guess I just have to give you another dumb answer from my simpleton's sack of stupid comments.

 

If one can't say NO in their late teens to a molester then there is more going on than meets the eye. Perhaps he didn't exactly enjoy it, but it could be that he did get off on the power he felt he had over the molesters obsession with him.

 

Regardless, I think there is a good chance that his willingness to "share" this with the CNN audience could very well be a deliberately planned career move. After all, it get's his name in front of a lot more people who will probably remember his name.

Good for his ratings, no? Better ratings = bigger paycheck.

 

Now you'll just have to show some of your great sensitivity here and excuse me this outlandish opinon - we can't all be as smart as you - and I'm stuck with an IQ that is interchangable with my collar size!

 

But it could be worse - some members (who shall remain nameless) could confuse their IQ with their dick size.

[pierrot]

The article says Roberts was having trouble dealing with his parents' divorce and struggling with his sexual identity. Nothing anywhere says what he decided about his sexual identity.

Either way, of course, he could have been abused. But I do think a 16 or 17 year old can be incredibly seductive and want sex with an adult. It is the adult's duty of course to turn him down. But, while I totally disapprove of child sex abuse, I do see a big difference between a 9 year old and a 17 year old. The latter is a sexually mature individual, usually with hormones surging, and very possibly very purposely seductive. I know I would have loved to seduce some grown men when I was that age, and would have tried if I'd had the opportunity.

Of course the adult is ultimately responsible. But I do think circumstances and age of the victim need to be taken into account.

[VaHawk]

So good to see, that no matter what the identity is: a thundering set of thighs, a wish to fuck a marine, or a forbidden zone behind the zipper, that the replies are still consistent in their inanity, ignorance and just plain idiocy! :7

[Guest zipperzone]

>So good to see, that no matter what the identity is: a

>thundering set of thighs, a wish to fuck a marine, or a

>forbidden zone behind the zipper, that the replies are still

>consistent in their inanity, ignorance and just plain idiocy!

 

God, you really are brilliant - such intellect - such a command of the English language - you could probably give Geo W. a run for his money.

 

And, oh dear - did I forget to mention tiresome?

[Guest zipperzone]

>The article says Roberts was having trouble dealing with his

>parents' divorce and struggling with his sexual identity.

>Nothing anywhere says what he decided about his sexual

>identity.

>Either way, of course, he could have been abused. But I do

>think a 16 or 17 year old can be incredibly seductive and want

>sex with an adult. It is the adult's duty of course to turn

>him down. But, while I totally disapprove of child sex abuse,

>I do see a big difference between a 9 year old and a 17 year

>old. The latter is a sexually mature individual, usually with

>hormones surging, and very possibly very purposely seductive.

>I know I would have loved to seduce some grown men when I was

>that age, and would have tried if I'd had the opportunity.

>Of course the adult is ultimately responsible. But I do think

>circumstances and age of the victim need to be taken into

>account.

 

Pierrot - Thank god someone else can see the point that I was trying to make. This site is so full of bleeding heart liberals that can't distinguish between a genuine CHILD molestation case and the scenario that Roberts wants us to swallow. If he was of graduation age and couldn't say "NO" then he probably should still be in theropy. But I still think that in a perverse way, he was getting off on being the seducer and not the victim. If it started at age 14, maybe he was a victim at first - but I bet he was enjoying it long before it ended.

[seattlebottom]

Unless the molestor is the sadistic type, he or she will do things that are pleasant to the child being molested. Therein lies the reason of why many individuals choose not tell: guilt at enjoying some of the acts done against them. They do not realize that they're bodies are simply reacting to the manipulations of their molestor. Some 20 years ago women whose vaginas were found to be lubricated after a rape were not believed to have been raped. It is only in the past few years that it has become known that even during rape, the body simply does what it was designed to do.

[Guest zipperzone]

>Unless the molestor is the sadistic type, he or she will do

>things that are pleasant to the child being molested.

 

But he wasn't a child - that's my whole point. It started at 14 and continued until he graduated - presumably around age 18. Anyone of 18 who allows himself to be "molested" has to be giving permission, unless he's retarded, which I'm sure Roberts isn't.

[seattlebottom]

>But he wasn't a child - that's my whole point. It started at

>14 and continued until he graduated - presumably around age

>18. Anyone of 18 who allows himself to be "molested" has to be

>giving permission, unless he's retarded, which I'm sure

>Roberts isn't.

 

14 is not a child? According to the law and psychologists it is.

 

I got into a relationship with a professor at my school when I was 20. Whenever I thought of stopping the relationship, I would feel guilty because I could have said no to his intitial overtures but didn't. I felt like because I had let him do it once, I had an obligation to continue letting him do it. It took me 2 years to finally end it. During that time I isolated myself from my peers and my family to such an extent that my mom thought I was either addicted to drugs or contemplating suicide.

 

With the benefit of hindsight, I think I know why this relationship happened and why I let it continue when it was obviously so detrimental to me. Mostly, and I don't blame my parents, I was raised to respect those in authority and not question their motives. I was lonely and homesick and he provided guidance and companionship. And obviously there was ego involved as I was initially thrilled that such a distinguised person would take an interest in me.

 

I don't know, zipperzone. Perhaps you had all of life's answers at 14, most of us are not as lucky. Hell, I'm still searching for answers.

[Guest zipperzone]

>14 is not a child? According to the law and psychologists it

>is.

 

Yes, I'll grant you that, but eventually, during his prolonged relationship, he ceased to be a child. I just find it very hard to imagine an 18 yr old allowing this to happen if he did not in some way or other get something out of it.

 

>I don't know, zipperzone. Perhaps you had all of life's

>answers at 14, most of us are not as lucky.

 

I sure as hell DID NOT have all of life's answers at 14 - or even now, for that matter - but you said it yourself, you were impressed that such a distinguished person would take an interest in you. Perhaps it was the same for Roberts.

 

And I still say his choosing to expose it now could be a clever career move. People are talking about him and remembering his name. In his business, that's a hell of a lot better than obscurity.