KPRC story with video here:
There is no clear-cut description for sexual predators. They come in all ages, races and both genders. They can be anyone from the straight-A student to handyman to the president of the parent-teacher association to the stay-at-home mom to the man next door.
Many pedophiles are master manipulators who work hard to be accepted as trustworthy, and they will work hard to find ways to naturally be around children. They can be very charming, which makes it tougher on a community when the secret life comes out.
Harvey Duncan was clean-cut, married for 30 years, the father of a son and an electrician. He was also molesting girls in his neighborhood.
“My wife says sometimes I’m more of a kid than the kids are,” Duncan said.
He said he used that child-like nature to get close to a handful of girls between the ages of 4 and 10.
“How a normal parent, especially fathers, will wrestle with kids and horse around,” he said. “Nothing sexual or anything else.”
Duncan said that horseplay turned into something more.
“Something fell over, something that was more delicate, and I turned around and swatted her bare bottom,” Duncan said.
He said that when the girls came over, the spanking became a game.
“Molesting and stuff was never really the goal,” he said. “I would actually be able to just talk to them like you and I are. Drawing pictures and playing games and stuff like this. The sexual activities was actually a very minor portion of it.”
Duncan said questions from the girls about their bodies created an opening for the molestation.
“I wouldn’t lie to put them off or get angry when they bring up oddball questions. They just started to trust me,” he said.
Duncan has served 10 years of a 25-year sentence in a Florida prison.
“I am very sorry that things happened the way things did,” he said.
Duncan said he never forced the girls to participate and never told them to lie about what was going on.
Experts said it is not uncommon for some pedophiles to use charm and seduction instead of force to create an atmosphere of trust before molesting their victims.
They also said it is not uncommon for victims to keep the secret without understanding the damage that is being done to them.
FBI: Beware of online child predators
Associated Baptist Press: The former pastor of a Southern Baptist church in Maryland pleaded guilty Feb. 7 to sexually abusing a girl in his congregation.
After hearing the story the girl’s mother called police, who arranged a monitored phone call between the girl and Ivey. When the 11-year-old asked him if she should tell anyone, he replied “this is between you, me and God,” according to the arresting document.
We are grateful to this brave victim, her mother, and law enforcement for pursuing this predator. Kids are safer now that he’ll be locked up.This painful story is a reminder of why it’s crucial that victims speak up promptly, that adults believe them, and that police are quickly called. Secular authorities, not church officials, should deal with child sex crimes and cover ups.Let’s hope that Southern Baptist officials – in Maryland and at this church – aggressively seek out and offer help to others who saw, suspected or suffered Pastor Joe’s crimes.
It’s irresponsible for church staff and members to do little or nothing to reach out to others who may be suffering in shame, silence and self blame.
