Like many predatory animals, criminals will set different baited traps to lure their prey into the positioning stage. Many of the mentioned traps are directed at the most innocent victims: children. But they also apply to adolescents and adults.
AFFECTION STRATEGY
The abuser uses pretend attention and concern to gain the child’s trust. Eventually a “return” is demanded for this affection. In a prison interview, a convicted molester, Allan X, discussed his strategy of getting children to “open up” to him and tell him secrets. After gaining some of the boy’s trust, this bully would test the boy to keep a secret. For example, the abuser might swear in front of the child and ask them not to say anything about it. The predator then waits and sees if the child says anything over the course of a week. If the child was keeping a secret, then the abuser would eventually try to enact some sick act. However, if the child did not keep the secret, then the abuser would find another target.
SUPPORT STRATEGY
The criminal asks for help with directions or help finding lost animals. This “find a puppy” ruse was used repeatedly by child molester John Oughton, known as the paper bag rapist. Operating near Vancouver, BC, this abuser would lure children near wooded areas, in parks, asking for their help in finding his missing pup. Once in the bushes, the rapist would place a paper bag over his victims’ heads. Ted Bundy used the assist lure by wearing a fake arm or leg cast.
I once interviewed a waiter who fell for this tactic. He was walking home from work at 4 am and a big guy in a car asked him for directions. The big guy had a map on his lap. When the off-duty waiter went through the window to point on the map, the big guy grabbed him, jumped out of the car, and tried to annoy the waiter. Right there on the street, under the street lights.
The waiter broke free and ran off. Later, when I contacted him, I was still so shaken up that I was like pulling teeth to get an interview with him. After the insistence of his girlfriend, he finally agreed to an interview in the hope that he would help other people.
The other side of the assist strategy is the predator positioning itself to be able to offer assistance and gain the trust of its targets. In an interview, lawyer Andrew Vachss mentions a nine-year-old criminal named Adam who used to dress in a sailor suit and wait outside mall bathrooms. Eventually, a mother with a small child would appear. If the mother seemed distressed about taking her son to the ladies’ room, Adam would offer to take the son to the men’s room, explaining that she often did it for her own little brother. After an unusually long wait, the mother would seek help or enter the bathroom to find her son beaten and scattered with clothes. There would be an open window where Adam made his way out. (After his arrest, Adam felt no remorse as no one felt sorry for him when he was beaten and mistreated.)
FALSE AUTHORITY
Criminals, like bullies, will use false badges and other symbols of authority to control a child or adult. Typically, they will try to intimidate minors who shoplift, smoke, or loiter. The biggest red flag for a fake authority figure, whether it’s a teacher or a police officer, is when they order the person into a vehicle or out of the immediate area, like a shopping mall. Sometimes the offender will use an authority title on the phone to obtain information or even prepare the listener for an obscene phone call.
BRIBERY
“Don’t accept candy from strangers” is the old saying used for decades. Today, bribes can be CDs, toys, videos, and universal items, money. Bribery also buys the secret. Unfortunately, it works with adults and children alike. Some shards can be subtle rewards for staying silent. People often feel that they owe the briber something. (I once heard a spa manager describe how buying someone lunch will make them feel obligated to buy you. Even a thousand dollar membership.) Also, once you start taking leftovers, like stolen goods, you set yourself up for the manipulation.
EGO/FAME STRATEGY
Fame is a strong draw. Aspiring acting and modeling are tricked into acting for free or worse, pornography in the hope of future stardom. (Even the actor Sylvester Stallone acted in a porn movie). One case in point was when 11-year-old Toronto track star Alison Parrott was approached by a man claiming to be a photographer for a local newspaper. Alison’s mother gave the girl permission to meet this photographer at Varsity Stadium in Toronto. Alison was found raped and strangled two days later.
The lure of being in movies is strong among young people. In an interview, child abuse attorney Andrew Vachss comments:
“I tell you that there are cases in which crimes have been orchestrated
so they can be filmed. And I also tell you that the public has no idea what is really going on. But the real one for me is the extent to which everyone says, ‘Oh, kids are so vulnerable to the internet. But where they are really vulnerable is in the movies. I could, with no more disguise than a T-shirt, go to any big city, and I could have thirteen-year-olds taking their clothes off in an hour. As long as he had a camera and said he was making a movie. And I’m not talking about Rita Hayworths wannabe. I mean you tell teenagers, ‘This is going to be a slasher movie, okay, and your role is that you’re going to be raped and then stabbed to death. And some of these teens might say, ‘Great. ‘”
THE EMERGENCY
This lie is to confuse the child and act impulsively. A typical approach might be to use the child’s name and tell them that there has been an accident with one of the parents. E.g. “Micheal, your dad just had a heart attack and your teacher, Mrs. Bloggins, sent me to take you to the hospital.” Again, the most important piece of advice is to order the child into a vehicle.
Protection strategy: Develop a code word or name for the child, so that if a stranger approaches them using their parent’s name, the child can ask for the code word. A child can also use a fake street name. They use a different street name so they can’t be traced back to your house. The same goes for a dog’s name. If a stranger doesn’t know a dog’s real name, there’s less chance they’ll use it to pass the dog off to the owner’s home.
FUN AND GAMES
This is where a game progresses towards petting, stealing, or mugging. One approach is to “hide the coin,” where the coin is hidden in some obvious place, such as under a watch band, then progresses to areas such as pants pockets. Tickle games will progress from tickling the stomach and under the arms to the abuser challenging the child which might make the child laugh. From there, the abuser will convince the child to allow more and more groping.
Children often used to tie up in games like cowboys and Indians or cops and robbers. Fun is fun, but when wire, fishing line, or handcuffs come out, one really has to wonder what’s on the menu.
Some adults still like to play and even brag about tying games. If they want to explain to their friends, family, and police how they ended up tied up, branded, walked around in spiked boots, and robbed, that’s their problem.
HEROES
Children, like other people, look up to someone. This gives high-profile predators considerable leverage over their victims. The victim will endure repeated abuse to maintain the “friendship”. This is typical of the local tough guy that younger men can look up to.
Even real celebrities, like Eric Rosser, the pianist (formerly of John Mellancamp’s band) have used their status to assault teenagers and children. Eric Rosser has raped several children in Thailand. Teen groupies are also especially vulnerable to celebrities or gang members.
JOB OFFER
The predatory offender often uses fake advertisements or flyers to schedule interviews with youth. A typical tactic was a “wine tasting job” in which several women were interviewed in Toronto. A 19- and 21-year-old woman was summoned for a secondary interview that included wine tasting. During the secondary interview, they were assaulted.
This job offer plot used by serial killer John Wayne Gacy. If the youth approached Gacy with his parents, Gacy would say the stalls were closed. Those young men who appeared alone often never left.
When people get desperate for money, they tend to ignore built-in danger signals.
COMBINATIONS
Clifford Robert Olsen, who sexually assaulted and killed dozens of teenagers and children (including one from my mother’s neighborhood), used a combination of decoys. He would often pick up hitchhikers or offer jobs to teenagers and fill them with beer. He would take them to some secluded place and kill them. This monster was a known informant for the Canadian police and was looking for young victims immediately after leaving the police station as an informant.
