DCF MANDATED REPORTERS, ANONYMOUS IDENTITIES, WHO CAN YOU REALLY TRUST?
Mandated reporters are DCF reporters because they work closely with children as part of their jobs. They must report all suspicions of child abuse or neglect to the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families (MA DCF). Mandated reporters include schoolteachers, nurses, and the police. Mandated reporters must go through training to recognize the signs of child abuse and child neglect.
But the question becomes, “who guards the guardians?” This is a question from the early 2nd century, by Roman Poet, Juvenal. This question is important in light of the various articles and news stories on mandated reporters sexually abusing children.
DCF reporters are the ones responsible for monitoring a child’s health and safety. Yet the news stories about mandated reporters being charged with child sexual abuse are on the rise. When mandated reporters are the ones abusing children, who can we really trust to do so? This article discusses the various recent instances of mandated reporters sexually abusing children.
What is the Role of a Mandated Reporter to DCF?
The role of mandated DCF reporters is outlined in the Massachusetts General Laws, chapter 119, section 51A. When a mandated reporter suspects a child is being abused or neglected, they must call DCF to make a report immediately. Mandated reporters must also file a written report with DCF within 48 hours of making that phone call. Mandated reporters must look out for:
- physical dependence upon an addictive drug at birth
- neglect, including malnutrition;
- signs of sexual exploitation;
- abuse that causes harm or significant risk of harm to the child’s health or welfare, including sexual abuse; or
- being a human trafficking victim
A mandated reporter can contact local law enforcement authorities or the child advocate in addition to DCF about the child abuse or neglect.
All in all, mandated reporters have a great degree of responsibility for protecting children of the Commonwealth.
What Happens When Mandated Reporters Fail to Report to DCF in Massachusetts?
A mandated reporter who purposely does not report signs of severe child abuse/neglect to DCF in Massachusetts can be fined for $5,000. The mandated reporter can also go to jail for up to two-and-a-half (2 ½) years. Severe child abuse or neglect would be the death of a child or serious physical injuries on a child.
The only mandated reporters who do not face consequences for failing to report to DCF in Massachusetts are religious leaders. These people would be priests, rabbis and clergy members.
They do not have to report information when they found about it during a confession or another confidential religious communication. But this could serve as a double edged sword. Mandated reporters can take advantage of their position.
A Pastor, A Protector Of God’s Children, Betrayal?
There have been many stories of priests sexually abusing children.
On September 3, 2020, Reverend Strickjavvar “Strick” Strickland from Kalamazoo, Michigan was charged with eleven (11) criminal charges of sexual abuse. All eleven (11) of those incidents involved minor children. Strickland was a pastor of the church, and a trusted man.
Two of the charges against him were third degree criminal sexual conduct on a student. Another one of the charges was by force or coercion. The most shocking charges however, were the four counts of human trafficking of a minor for commercial sexual activity, and 3 counts of child sexually abusive activity.
Who Do You Call When There Is An Emergency?
Even in an emergency, proceed with caution regarding who you trust with your children’s safety. When facing a major crisis, who do you call? Do you call the police? The fire department?
Recently, a retired sergeant, John Pradun (age 62), from the Cook County sheriff’s office was charged with 11 counts of child sexual abuse. Pradun was being investigated after the Wilmette Police Department received a report that he had possibly sexually abused a minor. The police uncovered that Pradun would have underage girls come over to his home for parties, during and after which he would be inappropriate with them.
He had showed his victims a nude digital picture of himself, raped teenager in his home and car, and had child pornography in his home. Pradun was guilty of other crimes involving children as well; he was giving teenagers alcohol, marijuana, cigarettes and xanax. Another police officer, Samuel Kurp, from Ohio was recently charged with child sexual abuse. Kurp, 26-years-old, had been a police officer with the Elmore Police Department since 2017.
He was caught after a complaint, or “cyber tip”, was made against him to the Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The “cyber tip” indicated that someone had been using a social media messenger app to upload and send other users 26 videos or image files of child sexual abuse material (which DCF would call child pornography).
The Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force forwarded the report to the Oregon Police Department who then sent the tip to the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. These task forces eventually uncovered the IP addresses used to send and receive these child pornographic videos and images. The IP address belonged to none other than Ohio police officer, Samuel Kurp.
How Do Your Kids Get To School?
There have been articles about school bus drivers sexually abusing children as well. A school bus driver was arrested due to inappropriate touching and sexual abuse of minors in Lawrence County, Ohio. The bus driver, named Larry D. Reed, Jr., was accused of allegedly inappropriately touching a minor female, and sexually abusing another minor female in his home. He eventually admitted to the accusations. The victims were around 14 to 15-years-old.
What About Child Athletes?
Does your child play sports? Is your child a part of a team that is led by a coach? Think twice before letting your children around these people alone. Everyone wants to trust their child’s team coach, but can we be so naïve to just assume they deserve our trust? The law does not require coaches to report all suspicions of child abuse to DCF. But many believe they should be DCF reporters, as they often work with children very closely.
A sports coach can be a powerful influence in a child’s life. But there are many stories showing coaches are not as trustworthy as some believe. While some people believe coaches should become mandated reporters, there are others who believe they shouldn’t be, and these stories illustrate why.
One of the most notorious cases of child abuse involved Jerry Sandusky, the assistant coach of Penn State’s football team, the Nittany Lions. Sandusky was a defensive line coach, and linebacker coach, and a defensive coordinator. Sandusky convicted of 45 counts of sexual abuse, including molesting young boys while they were in the shower.
According to ESPN, one of the victims said that Sandusky referred to himself as the “”tickle monster”” (ESPN). Head Coach at the time, Joe Paterno, knew about Sandusky’s crimes, but he did nothing to stop him. This scandal caused outrage among the public and led many to question the trustworthiness of coaches.
Kevin Seaver is a trusted Massachusetts DCF lawyer specialized in DCF law since 1991 
DISCLAIMER
You find yourself in this situation, it’s advisable to seek legal representation from a qualified attorney, like those at the Law Office of Kevin Seaver, who can advocate for your rights and guide you through the complex process of a DCF investigation.
Remember that the ultimate goal of DCF is to ensure the safety and well-being of children while supporting families in crisis.
Please note that this article does not create an Attorney-Client relationship between our law firm and the reader and is provided for informational purposes only. Information in this article does not apply to all readers.
Readers should not rely on this information as legal advice and should seek specific counsel from the attorney based on personal circumstances. Thank you.
Kevin Patrick Seaver is a Massachusetts DCF Defense Lawyer who represents parents against false child abuse allegations.
Massachusetts DCF Defense Lawyer Kevin Seaver has been successfully fighting false child abuse allegations since 1991.