They seemed like the most normal people, before he was arrested for a crime

"How much awfulness lurks right under our noses… I feel so on edge," a shaken mum says of a discovery about her neighbour which would terrify any parent. Warning: sensitive content

They say you never really know who your neighbours are, and it's proven true for one mum this week.

She's explained that she discovered the horrific truth about a family living next door, when she overheard why the husband was being arrested.

The reason has chilled her to her bones, as it would any parent.

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The mum is being cautious about her neighbours. Source: iStock

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"The most normal people on my block"

"My neighbours have lived next door to us for about three years," the woman writes online, adding that the couple, who seem to be in their mid-20s, have been together for years and have a 14-month-old son.

The poster and her husband have a three-year-old daughter, and the families have only spoken to each other a handful of times.

"They seemed like the most normal people on my block," she continues.

"The guy has a car detailing business; they just threw a big party with signs out in the yard for the kiddo's 1st birthday.

"Two weeks ago, the [police] were there when I got home. We had just put our three-year-old daughter to bed and stepped onto our back patio. We heard the guy being arrested; we heard the officer repeat what he had done...

"To say it mildly, he committed the worst act there is, to their son. And posted pictures and videos of it online. I think the wife found the pics and that's how she found out.

"The child is ok apparently doesn’t even remember, still is asking for his daddy."

Of course, the man is presumed innocent until proven guilty, but the mum is very anxious.

"I've been wringing my hands because this guy lived next DOOR to my family," she says.

"I can't get the question out of my head, is someone always evil? Or do they become evil over time? I cannot imagine being with someone for [years] and having a child with them and it turn out like this.

"Does a switch just flip in someone? How much awfulness lurks right under our noses… I feel so on edge."

The woman ran into the wife's mum, who confirmed what the husband has been accused of - and asked her to keep an eye on her daughter.

"The wife is a really struggling... So now I'm torn between checking on her and keeping my distance.

"I'm empathetic by nature but this has [shaken] me up. You can't trust anyone."

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"I was the wife"

The comments were filled with encouragement for the mum to support the wife.

"I was the wife in a similar situation. The feeling of being an outcast is so immediate. I'm still experiencing it, as I can't leave the community, seven years later. The wife is a victim, too. She needs support," one woman shared.

Others agreed that they would be disturbed too, with this person writing, "That’s bone chilling! I can see why you're so shaken."

But again, they added, "Please bring that mum a casserole and tell her you're there for her. It's awful enough to be near it, but I can't even imagine how terrible it would be if it were your husband and your child. She deserves to have the biggest village she can get right now."

Some commenters said they weren't surprised about the husband seemingly being a secret monster.

"Child therapist here. The most frightening thing about child predators is that they hide in plain sight. They are often filling roles of trusted positions (teacher, mailman, pastor, etc) or will be a person who seems very “normal” or “non-threatening”.

"They set themselves up to take advantage of kids once a certain level of trust or familiarity is built. Unfortunately, I have reached the point that I trust VERY FEW people to be alone with my children because of my understanding of child predators and the way they work."

This person also encouraged parents and care givers to be careful, writing, "I'm a counsellor. I work with adults and hear the aftermath of their abuse and the perpetrators. I trust very few around my child for the same reason. You know never know."

Finally, this mum shared her similar experience: "I totally understand. We just found out the other day that our very, very friendly 'neighborhood fixture' of a mailman is a convicted sex offender, whose crime was aggravated sexual assault of a six-year-old child.

"Truly chilling, you just never know with people. Stay vigilant!"

This story was published in April 2023 and updated in July 2023.

Originally published as They seemed like the most normal people, before he was arrested for a crime