Local clinical social worker addresses parents' concerns over child exploitation

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - Parents around Fort Wayne have wondered how they can keep their children safe, after this week's news of former Bishop Luers High School football coach, Matt Lindsay. On Thursday, the Allen County Sheriff's Department said it was investigating Lindsay after finding files on his computer.

NewsChannel 15 spoke with a handful of parents Thursday. They asked, "How do you really know when your kids are safe and when they're not," Andy Hobbs, a father of two, said.

Stephen Jarrell is a licensed clinical social worker who works mostly with cases involving sex offenders. He's also the executive director at Headwaters Counseling. According to him sexual abuse and exploitation has been around since the beginning of time, and he does not believe it is any more prevalent today, but said technology has changed how people are able to exploit others.

"As long as one person can have power over another person, you're going to have people who want to commit sex offenses," Jarrell said.

Jarrell spends most of his time working on cases involving sex offenders, and understands what perpetrators try to do.

"Many of them do require grooming to get the trust of the victim, so the victim will cooperate with them to some extent," Jarrell said.

Some people have linked the Lindsay case to the child molestation case at Penn State University and Jerry Sandusky, but Jarrell said the two cases are not the same.

"The situation between what happened with Sandusky and what's allegedly going on here in Fort Wayne is completely different," Jarrell said.

Jarrell discussed the differences and similarities between sexual abuse and sexual exploitation, and advised parents that both are wrong.

"What you do know is something is not right," Jarrell said. "It is really very important for each one of us to trust our gut when it comes to something like this."

Jarrell said parents and their children should discuss some warning signs.

"When any other person starts telling you, this is a secret between you and I, and need not tell anybody, or you shouldn't tell anybody, then that is a red flag that something is up," he said. "The reality is we have to simply sit down with our child before all that happens, and tell them what is appropriate boundaries, what is appropriate discussions."

Parents agreed education children is a big step in preventing a problem.

"Educate your child," Hobbs said. "Let them know what is good, what is not good, what to look out for and maintain a nice open relationship with them."

Jarrell said Indiana has a mandatory reporting law when someone suspects a child has been abused.  Parents should remember abuse can come from anyone, and they should report abuse or exploitation and let the authorities determine if any criminal activity has taken place.

Jarrell said the best people to call is either Indiana Child Protection Services , or your local police department.