Probably -- first clue your live-in might be up to no good is you work and he is oh so happy to watch the kids alone. Do people ever ask their children what happens during the day? Do they reassure their children that if anything -- and I mean anything -- happens that makes them uncomfortable, or fearful, or hurts they must tell them immediately. Absolutely no secrets -- none, nada, never ever.
Trust is earned not blindly given.
In the end, I bet the person that feels the most guilt for all this is the twevle year old. Kids have a heartbreaking way of absorbing blame for events over which they had no control.
A friend of mine was on a bus recently. She overheard a conversation a young woman with a couple small kids was having. She looked to be about 20 years old. She was talking with someone on the bus about a guy she had met. "Oh, he's really nice. He said he'd help me out, take care of me. He even said he'd be happy to babysit while I go out and stuff." My friend wanted to say something to this young woman but before she processed what she was going to say, the girl got off the bus. I was horrified to hear about it. I really wish someone had managed to warn this woman. She was young, appeared low-income and was likely overwhelmed.
That's how it happens. Uneducated parents with income issues, single moms, perhaps drug, alcohol or mental issues, and a hardcore lack of parenting skills.
I really don't understand why parenting classes aren't mandatory in high school for both sexes. It could be part of the health requirement.
In this case, I can bet dad(s) either abandoned the kids or is in prison, and mom has drugs problems and/or had the kids taken away by the state.
Grandma is probably little better and like many we see, was over the moon to find a man who would take her and showed an interest in her grandkids.
How this keeps happening despite all we see in the news is beyond me. These people might as well offer up their kids on a silver platter to the nearest NAMBLA headquarters. When are they going to learn?
Those who are responsible for the care of children should not allow any love interest around the children, period. Wanna' date? Fine, do it on your own time. At the least, the kids should never be left alone with the new guy and at the very least, parents should be highly, highly suspicious about any unrelated person who shows a lot of interest in one's children and/or wants to be alone with the kids.
I am so sick and tired of the stupidity, ignorance and laziness of people who are entrusted with such precious gifts. In every one of these cases, the parents/guardians responsible for these kids should be charged with child endangerment/neglect and jailed. But for the irresponsibility of this little girl's parents and grandma, this would not have happened.