To read part one of this report click here.
Every good parent wants to protect their child. They watch over them to make sure they're safe. But every parent also needs to know there are people who are preying on children and they're doing it in some very public places.@
"Child molesters plan and scheme and spend a great deal of energy figuring out how to get close to people's children," said Elizabeth Reust, a Lansing Police Detective.
Reust has been dealing exclusively with sex crimes for 12 years. She believes there are organized pedophilia groups operating in Lansing.
"I think the parents should be thinking about it when they drop their kids off at places like the YMCA, school, church, any place where you would leave your child would be an attractive place for child molesters to come also," said Reust.
Take Donaven Hollingsworth for example. He was convicted of indecent exposure by a sexually delinquent person after masturbating in front of a 13-year-old boy at Lansing's Westside YMCA.
During his pre-sentencing investigation, he admitted he was cruising the YMCA.
"No, it wouldn't surprise me at all that someone who is interested sexually in children would go to a place like the YMCA or to other places where children congregate," said Reust, "It doesn't make those places bad, but parents need to be vigilant about protecting their children and making sure that the organizations where they are leaving their children and also protecting them."
While regional task forces are trying to track organized pedophilia, Reust says, locally, they cant. @
"We're not tracking it at all, we don't have the resources to track it. We're having trouble keeping up with the cases that are reported," said Reust.
According to the Michigan State Police, last year more than 1,100 children 14 years old or younger reported being raped. But Reust says in reality, those numbers are likely much higher.
"Most children don't tell about sexual abuse, most children never tell and we know that from studies that are done of adults who report being sexually abused as children," said Reust.
Statistics show the bulk of child sexual abuse takes place in the home, generally involving a family member or acquaintance.
"Child sexual abuse is extraordinarily widespread in our communities, its happening in here in Lansing on a daily basis," said Reust.
Detective Reust says strangers "cruising" for children is even scarier.
"The thought that there are organized pedophilia groups operating in our community is horrifying," said Tony Fragle, the president of the YMCA of Lansing.
Fragale says while he's not happy about what happened at his organization, he says there is a lesson in it for parents.
"Keep communication open, let there be a home environment that allows that like with this family and allows the organization, in this case us, to take swift action, to intervene and to stop it," said Fragale.
Reust agrees, arguing parents need to be vigilant.
"The parents need to know what risks there are out there to their children," said Reust.
