The video of Brendan Phelps last week shocked a lot of people. Though that video now looks as though it will not result in criminal charges for Phelps.
As we stated in a prior article the age of consent in Minnesota is sixteen, and although Phelps is thirty one, lawyers are now saying there is nowhere near enough to prosecute a crime taking place on that video. The age of consent law in Minnesota is now being looked at.
Parents though have now been talking about interactions they had with Phelps over the years. Interactions that took place in Colorado have been discussed as of late and the age of consent in Colorado is 17.
Hockey parents have gone on to publicly and privately describe events that they say was “creepy” or “uncomfortable” for them and their children at the time.
Allegedly parties have been reporting incidents to SafeSport and other “authorities”. What the alleged incidents are we do not know. But the idea that this could be taking place means that we all need to be more vigilant in who we allow to access our children.
I have always used the rule that if it doesn’t feel right then I get the child out and I don’t care who it offends. Gut feelings on these things are rarely every wrong.
But, in the event you want to be more careful, we have found a list of things to watch out for if you have suspicions about someone and their intentions.
Parents often want to know if they would be able to determine who a sex offender is in order to keep their children safe. Unfortunately, many sex abusers look like a normal person and may not display any specific warning signs. However, there are some red flags and warning signs that parents should pay attention to, according to Safely Ever After, Inc.
Possible Warning Signs of a Sex Offender
It is important to note that not all sex offenders will give parents a bad feeling or that “something isn’t right” gut feeling; however, some possible warning signs of a sex offender can include:
- Someone who is constantly trying to gain access to your child.
- Someone who regularly offers to help your child with a sport, studying, or free lessons.
- Someone who doesn’t have kids of his or her own, but continually invites children over to play video games or do some other activity.
- Someone who continually volunteers to babysit your kids.
- Someone who buys gifts or gives money to your kids for no reason.
- Someone who gives your child extra attention.
- Someone who makes inappropriate comments about a child.
- Someone who ignores physical boundaries or makes your child hug or kiss them when your child doesn’t want to.
- Someone who frequently tries to touch your kid with tickling or touching games.
- Someone who prefers hanging out with kids over someone his or her own age
When an adult attempts to isolate a child or do any of the aforementioned things, it is possible that he or she may be demonstrating red flags and could be a possible child abuser.
Thanks to Damian Mallard attorney for these tips.
