Keeping Your Kids Safe without Sacrificing the Fun Factor

Nearly every day of his working life, David Sartorini made children laugh. Parents gave him unsupervised access to their sons and daughters. No one questioned his integrity or his choice of profession. He was, after all, the operator of a respected children's entertainment business. However, when the 49-year-old was arrested for indecently assaulting a nine-year-old girl during a birthday party in 2001, parents began asking the very questions they should have asked before they became involved with Sartorini, or any other children's entertainer. How could this happen? How was a convicted predator allowed to work with children? What should I look for when employing a party entertainer?

Like many child predators, David Sartorini knew his victims. He knew who they were, how to manipulate them, and the best ways to get to them. Sartorini selected a profession that would allow him easy access to his victims; one that would cast little or no suspicion on his predatory behavior. Like all predators, he hunted until he found the right victim. The right victim is one who affords the child predator three essential elements of the crime equation: access, cover, and time. I refer to this predatory triad by the acronym ACT. Parents must do their best to stop child predators from ACT-ing on their desires.

Many child predators take cover in professions that allow them access to children. They may choose jobs like party entertainers, photographers, members of the clergy, teachers, babysitters, coaches, child psychologists, or Scout leaders. They place themselves in jobs that are associated with positions of trust. As parents, you should not look at the profession - but at the person. Professions don't commit crimes. People do.

Just as it is important for parents to ensure that they protect their children by keeping in mind the ACT acronym, they should also be aware that many child predators use scripting techniques to obtain victims. In the same manner that a script provides an actor with a set dialogue, the child predator uses a script to produce a desired outcome. Learn the scripting techniques used by predators and you will have a better understanding of who to trust and who not to trust when it comes to the safety of your children.

Child Predator Script (Pedophile Script ©)

Playmate: Lures children by becoming friends or playmates.
Emergency: Creates a crisis so children are more likely to go with the predator.
Drugs: Drugs and alcohol are typically used with older children.
Obligation: Entices children to feel as though they must go with the predator and/or do what he/she says.
Power: Typically a ruse used by offenders who may be masquerading as police or security.
Help: A common lure where predators seek the help of children to find a missing dog or something similar.
Idolize: Predators take advantage of admiration (coach, teacher, celebrity).
Love: This lure involves the exploitation of unfulfilled emotional needs of children.
Employment: Advertise a job.
Soliciting fame: Generally used to secure teenage girls (promises of modeling or acting careers).
Computers: Portraying themselves as children, generally of the same sex, to arrange meetings, photographs or videos.
Recognition: Ascertaining the child's name (usually by a name tag) and using the lure of name recognition.
Inducement: Candy, gifts, or money.
Pornography: Used both as a lure (for older children - generally boys) and as part of sexual stimulation.
Threats: Used to intimidate children to participate in activities or to accompany them.

Questions for Entertainers

Q. Are your staff members checked against the list of registered sex offenders?
Q. Do you check employee driving and criminal histories?
Q. Do you enforce the U.S. Department of Justice Guidelines for the Screening of Persons Working with Children?
Q. If no, why not?
Q. Do you provide customers with verification that you conform with the U.S. Department of Justice Guidelines for the Screening of Persons Working with Children?
Q. If no, why not?

Safety Tips

· Only allow child entertainers access to parts of the home where it is necessary for them to entertain. · Do not allow unsupervised access to any children or any part of the home.
· Do not discuss where bedrooms, bathrooms, etc. are located.
· Do not discuss your social and work schedule.
· Interview the entertainer prior to the event to get a feel for his/her personality.
· Ask the entertainer to provide verification that they have never been charged with offenses against children. (In most states, the company should conform with the U.S. Department of Justice Guidelines for the Screening of Persons Working with Children.)
· Be conscious of all characteristics of a child predator.
· Provide the entertainer with a list of your rules, and have him/her sign off on those rules. (Remember, he or she is being employed by you; you are the boss and it is your home.)

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