More than a survivor of child sexual abuse, an overcomer and Olympic champion

“Don’t wait,” Clohessy said. Police might tell a victim they’ve had many complaints about a particular molester.

It’s very rare that a molester has only one victim, Carpenter said. The average serial pedophile might have abused 80 to 100 children.

Adults who were molested when they were children should put aside any misgivings about reporting their abuse because they don’t recall exact dates or don’t have a lot of information to give prosecutors, Clohessy said.

“Prosecutors understand that victims are suffering, nervous and fearful of being disbelieved,” Clohessy said in a phone interview from his office in St. Louis. “So, they’re not put off by a victim saying ‘I don’t remember what year it was.’ ”

Sexual-abuse investigators are trained in interviewing people who have survived that abuse, Hamilton said. “If the survivor has documentation regarding dates or locations, that can be helpful, but this is not necessary,” she said.