GUILTY NJ - Gregory Leary & others for sexual assault of 7yo girl, Trenton, 2010

[mayelf]

I just cannot believe that not ONE of those people did anything to prevent this from happening. A room full of people and not one of them decent enough to TRY to help? What kind of world do we live in that 27 people can stand by and act in a 7 year old child being raped?

 

[Donjeta]

I just cannot believe that not ONE of those people did anything to prevent this from happening. A room full of people and not one of them decent enough to TRY to help? What kind of world do we live in that 27 people can stand by and act in a 7 year old child being raped?

I agree with the sentiment but those 27 who were arrested weren't necessarily part of the rape party. Some might have been but according to the article they live in the same building and were arrested on outstanding warrants hoping to get tips about the rape case, not because there is evidence they were present in the rape case. It says the police believes there were about a dozen people there which is bad enough.

 

[Muffet]

IMO, this witch is merely evil and figured out a way to earn a fast buck.

It sounds that way to me too, the more I read, considering that her parents seem to be trying to do the right thing, and said they had problems with her in the past. When they thought her sister was with her, they were alarmed enough to call police. From what I understand, calling the police in that crime-infested area is going against the grain.

I also know a lot of 15 year-olds. They are "older" - or at least a lot more street savvy - than they were when I was young.

It wouldn't surprise me if she has been a victim in the past, but since there are so many others who have also been and don't choose to cruelly victimize others, there is another element to the equation that lead her to this.

I guess the bottom line is that her experience, whatever it may be, doesn't tell me nearly as much about her character as her choice to horrifically abuse her little sister does. :no:

 

[tlcya]

LE is probably performing a "sweep" of the building. You know, going door to door, questioning tenants, taking names and runnning them for criminal history, etc. Just goes to show how scary some kids' living situation can be. Even with loving parents, if you live in a building where the criminal element is such a strong presence, your odds of coming out of childhood unscathed by it are slim to none.

 

[Muffet]

According to police, the teenager and the 7-year-old were outside in the neighborhood Sunday when the older girl ran into two young men she knew who invited her to the party. The 7-year-old wanted to tag along because she was worried about the older girl's safety.

My heart weeps.

So the fifteen year old watched as her sister screamed. They also said she back to turning tricks at the party when the police arrived. I guess that's why she was too busy to notice that her sister got out of there.

Thank God she got out and found help instead of being taken by one of those monsters. :no:

 

[Muffet]

I agree with the sentiment but those 27 who were arrested weren't necessarily part of the rape party. Some might have been but according to the article they live in the same building and were arrested on outstanding warrants hoping to get tips about the rape case, not because there is evidence they were present in the rape case. It says the police believes there were about a dozen people there which is bad enough.

Men (aged 15 - 26?) and women.

 

[Linda7NJ]

I hope some of those caught in the sweep with outstanding warrants for drug charges or whatever sing like birds in exchange for leniency. and when they catch those that raped and stood by and did nothing I want their faces plastered all over the front pages nationwide and they get the absolute maximum sentences.

 

[Missizzy]

I have to agree with Mayelf. It really doesn't matter if it was 27 or 13 people standing by. Not one person stepped outside of his/her drunken/drugged up stupor for one second and thought, "Wait a minute...this has to stop NOW!!" Any one of them could have stepped outside the apt. and dialed 911. With a quick description, LE would have been all over this.

So many dynamics of this case are going to make this an uphill battle for this little girl. Age seven is a gateway age to autonomy and this is going to imprint absolute distrust of family and humanity in general, on this child.

 

[Linda7NJ]

I have to agree with Mayelf. It really doesn't matter if it was 27 or 13 people standing by. Not one person stepped outside of his/her drunken/drugged up stupor for one second and thought, "Wait a minute...this has to stop NOW!!" Any one of them could have stepped outside the apt. and dialed 911. With a quick description, LE would have been all over this.

So many dynamics of this case are going to make this an uphill battle for this little girl. Age seven is a gateway age to autonomy and this is going to imprint absolute distrust of family and humanity in general, on this child.

I disagree. She told, she was believed and she's being protected. They're the most important things to have in a situation like this for her psyche. She sounds like a spunky, brave, confident 7 year old with a good moral compass and a sense of justice. SHE was concerned for her OLDER sisters safety! She told despite death threats. I think she'll be just fine.

I do so hope she is kept away from her older sister.

 

[not_my_kids]

I am trying to figure how to put this in a non-bleeding heart kind of way, while also making myself sound perfectly sane.

What the older girl did is reprehensible and I am glad that she is facing the consequences. Not for one minute do I think that she should walk away scot free, or even just with counseling and supervision. When a person gets to that point, the only help will be coming from inside if it comes at all.

That said...
Both of these kids are already broken. There is no original evil left in the world, we just recycle what is given to us. There comes a point (Personal exp. here) where you just hurt too much on the inside to deal with it there, and you look for whatever outlet you can find to externalize that pain. And after a while, it just passes right through you, you don't feel the bad stuff anymore, and you forget that other people can. It's possible to come back from that, if you can live with the things you did. I think this is the situation that basically occurred here with the older girl, just on a much larger scale than is usually seen.
But at this point, the older girl has passed on too much, and my honest opinion is that she cannot be helped. There is a point where the things that you have done in the past outweigh any future good, and most people can not function under that. I think that selling your stepsister to pedophiles is one of those things.
The younger girl will need a lot of help, but it's possible that she will be okay. Seven year olds are very resilient and if she has the right supports, I still hold a lot of hope that she will make it through this.

 

[burbqueen]

ok everyone is saying poor 7yrs old, which is correct, but if she grows up to be an abuser lets say in 7 years then what? She becomes a criminal we should throw under the bus too? i've said it all along that there is a fine line between abused and abuser. People have sympathy for the abused, but forget that some people with strong support and a good mental resolve can rise above it. Others cannot and will not ever get over it.

A 15 year old selling herself is wrong, wrong, wrong. Something is going on at home that's not right. She deserves to be punished, but I wouldnt take the younger sister back into that home.

 

[slowbutsteady]

I guess I'm one of those posters. There is evil in the world, but often when a child of this age acts out in such a manner it's usually one of two explanations. One.. the child has been or is currently being molested or.. the child has a drug dependency issue. Please know, I'm not excusing what she's done. But, like most things in life there's usually an explanation whether we like it or not. It's never an excuse but, as humans there are usually reasons why these things happen.

I feel so much for the seven year old. She had to be terrified. I hope she's able to get all the help she's going to need. Sending all of my prayers to her.

As for the step sister - She will likely be held accountable by whatever laws apply to her crimes and age. Sounds like she is also in need of some serious intervention. Something is going on with her to be a prostitute and pimp at the age of 15.

I totally agree...also, what about the guys who were participating as well?? I know they're looking for them. When and if they find them, they should throw the book at them as well...:furious:

 

[Linda7NJ]

ok everyone is saying poor 7yrs old, which is correct, but if she grows up to be an abuser lets say in 7 years then what? She becomes a criminal we should throw under the bus too? i've said it all along that there is a fine line between abused and abuser. People have sympathy for the abused, but forget that some people with strong support and a good mental resolve can rise above it. Others cannot and will not ever get over it.

A 15 year old selling herself is wrong, wrong, wrong. Something is going on at home that's not right. She deserves to be punished, but I wouldn't take the younger sister back into that home.

Yes, we throw her under the bus too in 7 years. She knew at 7 it was wrong, we already know that. She told. She was hurt. etc.... If she turns around at 14-15 and does the same thing...she made a choice. A more informed choice than most sex offenders. It's a myth that most were themselves molested as children. Less than half were. That leaves at least 51% without the "abuse excuse". ( It's actually closer to 75% I believe)

Why wouldn't you take the younger sister back into that home? Are you assuming the eldest learned how to pimp and prostitute at home from her parents? I think the oldest child should never return to live under the same roof as the youngest.

 

[SuziQ]

ok everyone is saying poor 7yrs old, which is correct, but if she grows up to be an abuser lets say in 7 years then what? She becomes a criminal we should throw under the bus too? i've said it all along that there is a fine line between abused and abuser. People have sympathy for the abused, but forget that some people with strong support and a good mental resolve can rise above it. Others cannot and will not ever get over it.

A 15 year old selling herself is wrong, wrong, wrong. Something is going on at home that's not right. She deserves to be punished, but I wouldnt take the younger sister back into that home.

I think it's simple. They quit being a victim the second they become a perp. Especially when you consider that most crime victims do not go on the victimize. The old "abused people go on to be abuser" was debunked a long time ago. It's bad enough to be a victim and then have THAT lable attached to you. I can speak personally that I would not wish on a single living thing what I went through as a kid let alone go on to abuse someone.

 

[burbqueen]

I dont think the oldest and the youngest should live together at all, but from experience I can tell you a 15 year old hookin is not from a stable home at all. I've never done it, but I had friends that did in their teen years and all of them had homes that were dysfunctional.

I'm not saying that all abused become abuser, but in IMO I cannot hold the same standard for adults for teens. I was a bad teen. I came from a single parent home and I wasnt abused or anything.

I had a good life, but I was bad and headstrong. I never did anything like this 15 year old did, but I did my fair share. Fights, gang violence, stealing, drug dealing, dating MUCH older men, etc I could go on, but my mom never, ever gave up on me. I liked to hurt people cause I was hurting. I was teased as a kid, low self esteem. Yes, I choose to do bad things, but I also choose to quit. I just grew up and out. I've seen my friends in jail and die or both.

So yeah I work with troubled teens cause someone has to. I have a degree, married and live a very normal life. My husband teases me about my past, but I am so happy just to be here.

I put no stock into the so called statistics and psychologist. I have been to many a shrink and think that most of the "treatment" they suggested for me was full of it. Yeah, we have an idea how the human brain works, but I think there is so much more we don't understand about how human beings think and abuse. Everyday some new theory is purposed. Its a guidline, but not really a rule I adhere to.

 

[Linda7NJ]

UPDATE

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_TEEN_SISTER_SEX?SITE=FLTAM&SECTION=US

 

[slowbutsteady]

I just can't imagine that there would be so many guys wanting to...

#1 - have sex with a 15 yr old (yes, I still think that's too young)
#2 - then the 15 yr old comes in with a little suprise - a 7 YR OLD??? My God, what was it a pervert party or what??? God, what in the heck is happening? :banghead::furious:

IMO I think that the 15 yr old just wanted some cash...didn't matter how she got it either. I think that money is the only thing that matters in the poorer parts of town unfortunately. It's also unfortunate that nice, decent folks have to live in places like this that harbors this kind of activity.

All I know is if someone did that to my daughter, there would be hell to pay that's for sure!!! My prayers go out the the little girlraying: and hopefully, if they do put her in foster care or "protective" custody, that situation isn't worse than what she was living in...

 

[burbqueen]

Do they live in a poor area? Cause my 4 friends that were on the stroll weren't poor. They did it for the thrill of it and they liked the attention. The money was a bonus. With the internet you would be shocked how many teens are doing this outside of school and at school.

 

[Linda7NJ]

I think it's simple. They quit being a victim the second they become a perp. Especially when you consider that most crime victims do not go on the victimize. The old "abused people go on to be abuser" was debunked a long time ago. It's bad enough to be a victim and then have THAT label attached to you. I can speak personally that I would not wish on a single living thing what I went through as a kid let alone go on to abuse someone.

:clap::clap::clap: I find it an insult to every survivor of childhood sexual abuse!

 

[burbqueen]

I agree, like I said I was never abused in anyway at home or outside of my home. I had a loving family. My dad died when I was a kid and thats it. I had brothers and sisters that were in and out of trouble, but hey I grew up in the hood so that environment was there, but we moved to Plano, TX. Which is a very wealthy city. Me and my mom werent rich, but it was full of nice school and nice people, but despite all of that I STILL went down the wrong path.

It was all me. No one else. I had issues as a teen. I was angry, felt ugly and wanted others to hurt. I liked power. I beat a girl so bad she was in the hospital. I joined a gang, hung out on the southside of Dallas. People feared me and I liked it.

People told my mom to put me out and send me to Juvie. "she will never change". "she is just a bad kid". I've been called so many things. My mother tried many different things to shake me from the madness. It worked. I just believe that young people can change. Not all, but some. Or at least I can try.