Child abuse tactics exposed: How pedophiles target their victims – based on 25 years of watching predators brought to justice
What can parents do to protect our kids from predators? Sean Fewster has been covering the courts for decades, and shares his insights into abusers’ depressingly familiar tactics.
What do we, as parents, do to protect our children against what feels like an endless and rising scourge of child sexual offenders in our community?
These men and women are the most despised, reviled and abhorrent criminals in society’s eyes, and rightly so, for their actions forever ruin innocent young lives.
There is a temptation, because of our horror, to view pedophiles as something larger-than-life – master criminals of genius intellect, capable of deceiving parents and children alike.
I’ve reported on rape, incest, sexual abuse and child exploitation cases for nearly a quarter of a century, while raising a child of my own.
Some of the crimes I’ve watched go to trial were perpetrated face-to-face, others over the internet or encrypted apps.
Despite their individuality, the vast majority of these deviant minds commit their crimes in more or less the same way.
The unfortunate truth? There’s a hideously depressing, common banality to the greatest evil that can be perpetrated upon children.
The vast majority of pedophiles are so achingly similar in their tactics, their lack of acumen and their methods of operation that it would be laughable were it not so serious.
It starts by building trust with an authority figure – a parent, a guardian, a teacher, an employer, even a government agency – who can provide them access to a child.
This is a form of social engineering, during which the perpetrator goes out of their way to present themselves as a trustworthy, caring person, or even a substitute parental figure.
From there, they move upon their intended victim in much the same way – sometimes through gifts but, in an increasing number of cases, just by portraying “someone who’ll listen”.
Insecurities are preyed upon, rewards are promised and, most awful of all, secrecy is secured by playing upon childhood fears of getting in trouble, being ostracised or losing parents.
The child stays silent because the fear is so acute, and the abuse continues until discovered by an outside agency, or the child can take no more and discloses their torment.
This structure can be laid over the top of pedophiles as diverse as Familes SA abuser Shannon McCoole, “child collector” Ruecha Tokputza or would-be celebrity Megan Skye Blancada.
Even extreme-sounding cases like syndicate leader Jadd William Brooker and viral TikTok sensation Rachel Queen Burton follow the same basic pattern.
Just hours before writing this piece, I was in court for the trial of a man accused of grooming a child by playing pool and video games with him, and buying him an online gift card.
So what do we, as parents, do? The best advice comes from those we entrust with the onerous task of catching and prosecuting predators.
Detectives from the Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team spend their working hours rescuing children – in SA, around Australia and even overseas – from pedophiles.
In 2023, Detective Leading Senior Constable Stephen Hegarty said parents had to discuss the danger with their children “as early as you can” – and show empathy.
“Sometimes you hear people say ‘why didn’t the child say something?’ and that’s really unhelpful thinking,” he said.
“There is always a reason they didn’t say something – it could be guilt, it could be shame, it could be fear.
“Adults just need to say to kids ‘it’s not your fault and it’s so important you don’t blame yourself’, because these offenders are groomers.
“Kids need to know they can reach out, there’s people there who really want to help you.
“Know that you have done nothing wrong and there’s people here to help and to listen to you.”
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Originally published as Child abuse tactics exposed: How pedophiles target their victims – based on 25 years of watching predators brought to justice
