As adults, we are aware of how predators groom children. We teach them not to talk to strangers, never to go anywhere with anyone and if someone does happen to take them that we will NEVER stop loving them or looking for them, no matter what that awful person says. What we don't do is prepare ourselves for being groomed. We are not used to being part of the cycle. A normal human cannot even think of all the disgusting things someone will say or do to attack at the right moment. As a struggling single mom, I understand how she could appreciate the moment of kindness someone offered. And after several hours of that facade, she obviously isn't quite as guarded as she was 3 hours before. He said he had a wife, so she instantly felt more comfortable that he wasn't picking up on her. He got them to their destination (Wal-Mart) safely, so she let her guard down a little more. He probably helped out with little things while they were there (calming a crying child, etc) and she let it down a little more. Then came the unthinkable. I feel absolutely awful for this mother and her poor sweet daughter. I can only imagine the sinking feeling she had when the police told her he was a registered sex offender. She will be lucky to function after this. Hopefully, for the sake of her other little ones, she can. She can be confident she will never make a similar mistake and have made many other parents more aware of being used in the cycle of harm. Please, don't give this mother any more grief. She is handling all she can.
