Practice English Speaking&Listening with: Child abuse expert talks about how predators groom victims

GOOD EVENING -- A FORMER

TEACHER'S CRIMINAL CHARGES ARE

BRINGING UP AN IMPORTANT

CONVERSATION FOR PARENTS AND

THEIR KIDS.

KELOLAND NEWS IS FOLLOWING THE

CASE AGAINST 27 YEAR OLD DAYLAN

FARGO.

POLICE ARRESTED HIM EARLIER THIS

WEEK. THE FORMER SHOW CHOIR

INSTRUCTOR AT WASHINGTON HIGH

SCHOOL IS ACCUSED OF HAVING AN

ILLEGAL RELATIONSHIP WITH A 15

YEAR OLD BOY, WHO WAS ALSO HIS

STUDENT.

KELOLAND'S BRADY MALLORY JOINS

US WITH ADVICE FROM A CHILD

ABUSE EXPERT.

FARGO'S CASE IS SPARKING A LOT

OF DISCUSSION ON OUR SOCIAL

MEDIA PAGES.

HE FACES THREE FELONY CHARGES

FOR ALLEGEDLY HAVING SEXUAL

CONTACT WITH A CHILD UNDER 16.

SOMEONE REPORTED FARGO TO

POLICE, ACCUSING HIM OF BEING

ROMANTICALLY INVOLVED WITH THE

TEENAGER AT SCHOOL.

COURT PAPERS SAY THE

RELATIONSHIP STARTED WHEN THE

VICTIM WAS JUST 15 YEARS OLD AND

CARRIED ON FOR TWO YEARS.

IT INVOLVED TEXTING AND

EXCHANGING NUDE PHOTOS.

THE COURT DOCUMENTS GO ON TO

SAY, AS TIME PASSED, FARGO

EXPRESSED HIS DESIRE TO HAVE SEX

WITH THE VICTIM.

DURING HIS POLICE INTERVIEW,

FARGO ADMITTED TO THIS AND SAID

HE WAS IN A LOVING RELATIONSHIP

AND SAID IT WAS 'CONSENSUAL

LOVE'

FIRST OF ALL, DR. NANCY FREE

WITH CHILD'S VOICE IS NOT

COMMENTING ON THIS CASE.

WE HAD A BROADER CONVERSATION

ABOUT TARGETING CHILDREN AND

TEENS FOR SEXUAL ABUSE OR

ASSAULT.

SHE SAYS THIS TYPE OF CRIME

OFTEN ISN'T VIOLENT, AND CAN

INVOLVE A PERSON IN POWER

GROOMING A MINOR OVER A PERIOD

OF TIME.

IT OFTEN STARTS WITH TAKING A

SPECIAL INTEREST IN A CHILD,

ESTABLISHING A FRIENDSHIP,

GIVING THE CHILD GIFTS, AND THEN

IT CAN ESCALATE FROM THERE INTO

SEX.

"ALSO, SEXUAL OFFENDERS OFTEN

TIMES GROOM FAMILIES. THEY DON'T

JUST GROOM THE CHILD. THIS IS

OFTEN A PERSON KNOWN AND

RESPECTED AND APPRECIATED BY THE

FAMILY. EVERYBODY GETS SUCKED

IN," FREE SAID.

I ALSO ASKED FREE ABOUT WHEN A

SUSPECT SAYS A RELATIONSHIP WITH

A MINOR WAS CONSENSUAL.

LEGAL AGE OF CONSENT IN SOUTH

DAKOTA IS 16.

FREE SAYS CONSENT CAN'T HAPPEN

BECAUSE A CHILD, OR TEENAGER WHO

IS A MINOR, CANNOT GIVE CONSENT.

"WOULD WE LET A CHILD PLAY IN

THE FRONT YARD OF A BUSY STREET?

WE DON'T MAKE CHILDREN

RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR SAFETY IN

ANY OTHER ARENA, EXCEPT FOR

FREQUENTLY IN CHILD

MALTREATMENT. WE BLAME THE

VICTIM," FREE SAID.

DR. FREE SAYS THERE MAY NOT BE

ANY WARNING SIGNS, BUT THERE ARE

SOME THINGS PARENTS CAN LOOK OUT

FOR.

WE'VE LISTED THOSE AND RESOURCES

TO HELP UNDER THIS STORY ON

KELOLAND DOT COM.