I can’t help but think that Jesus weeps for those little ones who fall into the hands of child predators. I also believe Jesus weeps over the despair and hopelessness we experience as communities because of the crimes committed against our children.—Patrick Crough
In September, Lighthouse Trails author Patrick Crough was awarded the Florida “State Law Enforcement Officer of the Year” for his invaluable service in fighting against human trafficking “in Florida and across the globe.”
Special Agent Supervisor Crough is the author of Seducers Among Our Children, a book published by Lighthouse Trails that chronicles many of the cases Officer Crough worked on while a law enforcement sergeant in Rochester, New York for twenty years.
Officer Crough has been committed to protecting children and other exploited and abused individuals during his career as a law enforcement officer. We at Lighthouse Trails applaud him and thank the Lord for this servant who has given his life for the sake of children.
Leading up to the Award given, the nomination narrative said this about SAS Crough:
Special Agent Supervisor (SAS) Patrick Crough joined FDLE [Florida Dept. of Law Enforcement] in 2012. Prior to working at FDLE, SAS Crough completed a career in Rochester, New York where he was a violent crime and narcotics investigator. It was in Rochester where SAS Crough honed his skills in investigating horrific criminal acts against children. . . . In 2013, SAS Crough began his first FDLE investigation of human trafficking in Southwest Florida. For approximately two years, SAS Crough worked tirelessly to successfully dismantle the group by arresting 15 members of the criminal organization and rescuing numerous victims of human sex trafficking.
Human trafficking is an enormous and utterly horrible industry where perpetrators make millions and millions of dollars in the sale and exploitation of humans. And unbeknownst to many, victims (women, children, and young men) also originate from the United States. If your family members are not adequately aware of what is taking place, we urge you to bring them up to speed. Recently, Lighthouse Trails began carrying books by a Christian author named Kimberly Rae, who has written several novels focusing on and warning about human trafficking. Some of her books are geared for children, written in a sensitive way but help to educate young people on this issue. Others are written for adults.
In Officer Crough’s book Seducers Among Our Children, while the cases he describes of child sexual abuse are heartrending and difficult to read, we, as parents and grandparents need to be informed and should never think that “it won’t happen to my family” because statistically, it very well could.
There is a very important section in Seducers Among Our Children which provides practical and biblical advice on how to protect our children. That section includes topics such as: Common Risk Factors for Sexual Abuse; Protect Your Children with Prayer & the Word; Safety Check List; Potential Signs of a Sexually Molested Child; Safety Tips for Churches & Community Organizations; Discerning the Voice of a Child; and Consequences of Abuse in Our Homes, Churches, & Communities.
While people like Patrick Crough have committed their lives to protecting children, let’s make sure we do our part in protecting our own children and grandchildren. Below are a few poignant quotes from Officer Crough’s book:
Parents should be showering more positive attention on their children than anyone else does.
The loving shepherd must chastise the animal and teach it not to wander away from the safety of the flock.
Once a man gets hooked on pornography, it is like being hooked on crack.
The young victim was no match for this cunning and manipulative seducer who had led him to believe there was no way out.
As your church or organization changes in size and staff turns over, you should re-evaluate your policy and make the needed modifications to keep it effective.
And finally, the Word of God’s stance on protecting children:
And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea. (Mark 9: 42)
Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy. (Proverbs 31:9)
But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. (Matthew 18:6)
[F]or the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart. (1 Samuel 16:7)
Related Articles and Resources:
Powerful Radio Interview: – Children Who Fall Victim to Sexual Predators & the Story of One Boy
Resources from Lighthouse Trails on Protecting Children
Note: Lighthouse Trails currently is offering Seducers Among Our Children at a special discounted price so anyone who wants a copy can afford it. However, if for some reason you cannot afford to get a copy, please write to us at editors@lighthousetrails.com, and we will send you a free copy.
Never before have our children been in so much danger, beginning in the womb. We must protect and warn our most innocent of humans. Parents must do their job by bringing up their children in the way they should go, using the Bible and prayer and love their own children more than anyone else, as Patrick Crough has said.