Keith Smith Speaks at State House Press Conference as Prevent Child Abuse New Jersey introduces the “Enough Abuse Campaign”
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The complete text of Smith’s speech is below.
TRENTON, NJ – It’s appropriate in the very neighborhood where citizens of New Jersey fought the Battle of Trenton 235 years ago, we announce the beginning of another revolution in the State of New Jersey, a revolutionary transformation in the way we protect our children from sexual abuse.
It’s a special day for Prevent Child Abuse New Jersey, the New Jersey Partnership to Prevent Child Abuse, the Coalitions, the Enough Abuse Campaign and more importantly, every child in the state of New Jersey.
My name is Keith Smith. For the past 15 years, I have been a member of the board of directors of PEI Kids, the Lead Agency in the Greater Mercer Coalition to Prevent Child Abuse, serving 6 of those 15 years as the Chairman of the Board.
Today, I’m not here as a board member, academic or social worker. I’m here in a very different role. Today, I’m here to speak with you as an adult male survivor of childhood sexual violence.
In 1974, at the age of 14, I was abducted, beaten and raped by a stranger; a previously convicted, recidivist, pedophile predator hunting for boys in my childhood hometown of Lincoln, Rhode Island.
I’m not here to tell my story, but to speak from experience, to help highlight the devastating personal and societal effects of childhood sexual abuse and to tell you that the Coalitions announced today will make a difference in the lives of thousands of children in New Jersey by effectively providing adults with the awareness, the knowledge and the skills adults need to prevent child sexual abuse.
Children who are victims of sexual abuse often resort to inappropriate behaviors to cope as they suffer through physical, emotional, behavioral and social problems directly related to their abuse.
Some kids turn to drugs and alcohol, drop out of school, run away from home, suffer from eating disorders, sleeping disorders, personality disorders, stress, anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress syndrome and life threatening sexually transmitted disease.
Some children have difficulty forming trusting relationships, resort to physical violence, sexual promiscuity and inappropriate and sometimes criminal sexually reactive behavior.
Some resort to cutting, self-mutilation and in the most extreme cases they’ve murdered their abuser while others contemplate, attempt or commit suicide.
Directly attributable to their sexual abuse, victims often suffer these enduring problems throughout their adolescence and into adulthood, many suffering through decades of silence, never disclosing their abuse.
Children and adults remain silent out of misplaced guilt, fear, shame, embarrassment and under threat of violence from their perpetrators, threats of violence directed to the child or their family.
The life altering physical, emotional, behavioral and social side effects of sexual abuse, suffered by children into adulthood, last a lifetime. While it saddens me to say that sex crimes committed against children will never stop, I’m proud to stand here today on the steps of the State House to tell you we’re taking action to minimize the risk to children by educating adults on steps they can take to keep kids safe and providing adults and communities with the knowledge and skills they need to put an end to the silence surrounding the sexual abuse of children.
The Coalitions introduced today, will work in our cities and suburbs in every county in New Jersey, from the George Washington Bridge to the Pine Barrens, from the Delaware River to the Jersey Shore, with community leaders, faith-based organizations, public officials, parents, educators and others, to replicate in New Jersey the Enough Abuse Campaign, a program the Center for Disease Control has called a “groundbreaking effort,” and one that “breaks the mold” in child sexual abuse prevention efforts and strategies.
Long before the sex abuse scandals at Penn State and Syracuse were front page news; and long before this weeks’ abduction, rape and murder of 7-year old Jorelys Rivera in Canton, Georgia, work was being done throughout New Jersey to transform the way we protect our children.
The groundwork is finished, the Coalitions formed and funded, and the day-to-day effort of providing adults and communities with the knowledge and skills they need to protect children from sexual abuse begins now.
To those who were involved in the funding and creation of the Coalitions, thank you.
To the people on the front-lines doing the day-to-day work to keep kids safe, thank you.
To the parents, grandparents and guardians of children in New Jersey, help is on the way.
And to the children who are victims of sexual abuse, if you are strong enough to speak out, ask for help. If you can’t and continue to suffer in silence, I understand…just know that you are not alone and believe me when I say the abuse you suffer is not your fault.
It’s never your fault.
Never.
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Men in My Town by Keith Smith. Based on Actual Events.
Keith Smith, the author of Men in My Town, is a Survivor of a Stranger Abduction Sexual Assault and a Keynote Speaker on the topic of Childhood Sexual Abuse. The story of Keith’s assault and his transition from sexual assault victim to survivor has been featured in newspapers and magazines and his program, “5 Steps You Can Take to Keep Kids Safe” has been discussed on radio and television. Keith has lobbied government officials to prevent cutbacks to programs serving children and he’s testified before the New Jersey State Senate Judiciary Committee seeking to eliminate the statute of limitations in civil action relating to sex crimes against children. Keith participated in Oprah Winfrey’s award-winning show on Male Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse and appeared on Anderson Cooper’s Special, State of Shame: The Penn State Sex Abuse Scandal.
More information is available at www.MenInMyTown.wordpress.com
Information about his novel, Men in My Town can be found at www.tinyurl.com/MenInMyTown
Keith’s Men in My Town LinkedIn Profile can be viewed at www.LinkedIn.com/in/MenInMyTown
Email Keith Smith at MenInMyTown@aol.com
A boy is raped in Lincoln. His assailant is murdered in Providence. No one has ever been charged with the crime…someone got away with murder.
A boy is raped in Lincoln, Rhode Island. His assailant, beaten to death in Providence. No one’s ever been charged with the crime. Someone got away with murder.
My name is Keith Smith. I was abducted, beaten and raped by a stranger. It wasn’t a neighbor, a coach, a relative, a family friend or teacher. It was a recidivist pedophile predator who spent time in prison for previous sex crimes; an animal hunting for victims in the quiet, bucolic, suburban neighborhoods of Lincoln, Rhode Island. I was able to identify the guy and the car he was driving. Although he was arrested that night and indicted a few months later, he never went to trial. His trial never took place because he was brutally beaten to death in Providence before his court date. 36 years later, no one has ever been charged with the crime.
“Smith has delivered a gripping, fast paced crime story, a captivating suspense novel inspired by actual events. It’s a true ‘someone got away with murder’ story you can’t put down; a story that will stay with you long after you finish reading Men in My Town.”
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The story of the abduction, beating and rape of a teenage boy from Lincoln, Rhode Island, followed by the unsolved brutal murder of his assailant in Providence, is now a moving novel written by the man who survived this vicious attack.
Men in My Town by Keith Smith. Based on Actual Events. Available now at Amazon.com in Paperback and Kindle.
Email the author at MenInMyTown@aol.com
Keith Smith with Anderson Cooper on Penn State Sex Abuse Scandal
Stranger Abduction Sexual Assault Survivor and Child Safety Expert, Keith Smith discusses the Penn State Sex Abuse Scandal with Anderson Cooper, live on “Anderson” from Time Warner Center Studios in New York.
Smith asks Senate Judiciary Committee to End Statute of Limitations in Sex Crimes Against Children
TRENTON, NJ – Keith Smith testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee asking members for their support of Senate Bill S-2405. If passed, the Bill will revoke the existing statute of limitations in civil actions for sexual abuse, sexual assault and rape. The current two-year statute of limitations will be removed, allowing victims to indefinitely seek justice in civil courts from perpetrators of sex crimes against children.
After hearing over four hours of testimony, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted 9 – 0 in favor of the Bill, moving S-2405 out of Committee for consideration by the full Senate.
Smith said, “We’re one step closer to changing the law in New Jersey, a law that will end the Statute of Limitations in Civil Actions for Sexual Abuse, Sexual Assault and Rape of children.”
Smith is a survivor of a stranger abduction sexual assault and author of Men in My Town.
The transcript of his testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee is printed below.
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Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee,
I’m appearing before you today to ask for your support of S-2405 sponsored by Senators Joseph Vitale and Nicholas Scutari. If passed, this bill would remove the current statute of limitations in civil actions for sexual abuse of a minor and expand the categories of persons and entities potentially liable for sex crimes committed against children.
For the past 15 years, I have been a member of the board of directors of a 501 (C)(3) social service agency providing crisis intervention counseling services to child victims of sexual abuse, 6 of those 15 years as the Chairman of the Board. Today I’m here in a different role. Today, I’m here to speak with you as a survivor of sexual violence.
In 1974, I was abducted, beaten and raped by a stranger; a recidivist, pedophile predator hunting for boys in my childhood hometown of Lincoln, Rhode Island.
I’m not here to tell my story, but to ask you to help the children of New Jersey and adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse by supporting S-2405 as proposed, without revisions.
Children who are victims of sexual abuse often resort to inappropriate behaviors to cope as they suffer through physical, emotional, behavioral and social problems directly related to their abuse.
Some turn to drugs and alcohol, drop out of school, run away from home, suffer from eating disorders, sleeping disorders, personality disorders, stress, anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress syndrome and life threatening sexually transmitted disease.
Some children have difficulty forming trusting relationships, resort to physical violence, sexual promiscuity and inappropriate and sometimes criminal sexually reactive behavior.
Some resort to cutting, self-mutilation and in the most extreme cases they’ve murdered their abuser while others contemplate, attempt or commit suicide.
Directly attributable to their sexual abuse, victims often suffer these enduring problems throughout their adolescence and into adulthood, many suffering through decades of silence, never disclosing their abuse.
But why not? Why don’t they disclose?
Children and adults remain silent out of misplaced guilt, fear, shame, embarrassment and under threat of violence from their perpetrators, threats of violence directed to the child or their family. In time, often in a number of years that far surpass the current 2 year statute of limitations, some victims of childhood sexual abuse get the strength to come forward, the strength to speak out, the strength to face the demons that haunt them and the perpetrator of their abuse. Unfortunately, the amount of time that lapses between the sex crime committed against the child and the date the adult survivor comes forward seeking justice, often exceeds the current 2 year statute of limitations and dissolves the possibility of civil action.
I agree with the sponsoring Senator’s position that eliminating the existing statute of limitations in sexual abuse cases would be in the interest of justice and respectfully request your support for S 2405.
Senators, it saddens me to say that sex crimes committed against children will never stop. The life altering physical, emotional, behavioral and social side effects of sexual abuse, suffered by children into adulthood, last a lifetime. Shouldn’t a victims’ ability to bring civil action against perpetrators of sex crimes last just as long?
Thank you for the opportunity to share my thoughts with you this afternoon.
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Keith Smith, author of Men in My Town, is a Stranger Abduction Sexual Assault Survivor and a Keynote Speaker on issues of child safety. He’s available as a speaker for conferences, seminars and fundraising events benefiting non-profit organizations, government agencies, companies and professional associations dedicated to helping children who have been sexually abused.
The story of the abduction, beating and rape of a teenage boy from Lincoln, Rhode Island, followed by the unsolved brutal murder of his assailant in Providence, is now a moving novel written by the man who survived this vicious attack.
Men in My Town by Keith Smith. Based on Actual Events.
Available now at Amazon.com in Paperback and Kindle.
Keith Smith, Stranger Abduction Sex Assault Survivor Breaks His Silence After 36 Years. Uses Experience to Educate Adults on “5 Steps You Can Take to Keep Kids Safe.”
Keith Smith, author of Men in My Town, is a Stranger Abduction Sexual Assault Survivor and a Keynote Speaker on issues of child safety. He’s available as a speaker for conferences, seminars and fundraising events benefiting non-profit organizations, government agencies, companies and professional associations dedicated to helping children who have been sexually abused.
If you’re interested in Keith discussing “5 Steps You Can Take to Keep Kids Safe,” at your next conference, seminar or fundraising event contact Keith at MenInMyTown@aol.com.
Keith Smith discusses “5 Steps We Can Take to Keep Kids Safe” live from NBC Studios in NYC
Keith Smith, Stranger Abduction Sexual Assault Survivor and author of Men in My Town discussed his abduction and “5 Steps We Can Take to Keep Kids Safe,” live at NBC Studios in New York with JenniFDB and Cat Hernandez. Click here to listen to the show.
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Keith Smith, author of Men in My Town, is a Stranger Abduction Sexual Assault Survivor and a Keynote Speaker on issues of child safety. He’s available as a speaker for conferences, seminars and fundraising events benefiting non-profit organizations, government agencies, companies and professional associations dedicated to helping children who have been sexually abused.
Here’s Keith’s story.
“At the age of 14, I was abducted, beaten and raped by a stranger. It wasn’t a neighbor, a coach, a relative, a family friend or teacher. It was a recidivist pedophile predator who spent time in prison for previous sex crimes; an animal hunting for victims in the quiet, bucolic, suburban neighborhoods of Lincoln, Rhode Island. I was able to identify the guy and the car he was driving. Although he was arrested that night and indicted a few months later, he never went to trial. His trial never took place because he was brutally beaten to death in Providence before his court date. Thirty five years later, no one has ever been charged with the crime.”
“Out of fear, shame and guilt, I’ve been silent for over three decades, sharing my story with very few people. No more. The silence has to end. What happened to me wasn’t my fault. The fear, the shame, the guilt have to go. It’s time to stop keeping this secret from the people closest to me, people I care about, people I love, my longtime friends and my family. It’s time to speak out to raise public awareness of male sexual assault, to let other survivors know that they’re not alone and to help survivors of rape and violent crime understand that the emotion, fear and memories that may still haunt them are not uncommon to those of us who have shared a similar experience.”
___________________________________________________________________
The story of the abduction, beating and rape of a teenage boy from Lincoln, Rhode Island, followed by the unsolved brutal murder of his assailant in Providence, is now a moving novel written by the man who survived this vicious attack.
Men in My Town by Keith Smith. Based on Actual Events.
Available now at Amazon.com in Paperback and Kindle.
Email the author at MenInMyTown@aol.com
Keith Smith talks with Drs. Aaron and Margaret Jamal about Eliminating the Statute of Limitations in Sex Crimes Against Children
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Keith Smith, author of Men in My Town, is a Stranger Abduction Sexual Assault Survivor and a Keynote Speaker on issues of child safety. He’s available as a speaker for conferences, seminars and fundraising events benefiting non-profit organizations, government agencies, companies and professional associations dedicated to helping children who have been sexually abused.
Click this link to watch Keith’s live testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee requesting their support of NJ Senate Bill S-2405, a Bill to Eliminate the Statute of Limitations in Sex Crimes Against Children.
Here’s Keith’s story.
“At the age of 14, I was abducted, beaten and raped by a stranger. It wasn’t a neighbor, a coach, a relative, a family friend or teacher. It was a recidivist pedophile predator who spent time in prison for previous sex crimes; an animal hunting for victims in the quiet, bucolic, suburban neighborhoods of Lincoln, Rhode Island. I was able to identify the guy and the car he was driving. Although he was arrested that night and indicted a few months later, he never went to trial. His trial never took place because he was brutally beaten to death in Providence before his court date. Thirty five years later, no one has ever been charged with the crime.”
“Out of fear, shame and guilt, I’ve been silent for over three decades, sharing my story with very few people. No more. The silence has to end. What happened to me wasn’t my fault. The fear, the shame, the guilt have to go. It’s time to stop keeping this secret from the people closest to me, people I care about, people I love, my longtime friends and my family. It’s time to speak out to raise public awareness of male sexual assault, to let other survivors know that they’re not alone and to help survivors of rape and violent crime understand that the emotion, fear and memories that may still haunt them are not uncommon to those of us who have shared a similar experience.”
___________________________________________________________________
The story of the abduction, beating and rape of a teenage boy from Lincoln, Rhode Island, followed by the unsolved brutal murder of his assailant in Providence, is now a moving novel written by the man who survived this vicious attack.
Men in My Town by Keith Smith. Based on Actual Events.
Available now at Amazon.com in Paperback and Kindle.
Email the author at MenInMyTown@aol.com
Keith Smith, Stranger Abduction Sexual Assault Survivor Discusses 5 Steps We Can Take to Keep Kids Safe.
Just click this link to Blog Talk Radio to hear the live interview covering my experience as a Stranger Abduction Sexual Assault Survivor plus “Five Steps We Can Take to Keep Kids Safe.”
1. Know the Facts about Childhood Sexual Assault
2. Know the Signs
3. Know What to Do
4. Know Where to Go
5. Know What to Say
Keith Smith, author of Men in My Town, is a Stranger Abduction Sexual Assault Survivor and a Keynote Speaker on issues of child safety. He’s available as a speaker for conferences, seminars and fundraising events benefiting non-profit organizations, government agencies, companies and professional associations dedicated to helping children who have been sexually abused.
The story of the abduction, beating and rape of a teenage boy from Lincoln, Rhode Island, followed by the unsolved brutal murder of his assailant in Providence, is now a moving novel written by the man who survived this vicious attack.
Men in My Town by Keith Smith. Based on Actual Events.
Available now at Amazon.com in Paperback and Kindle.
Email the author at MenInMyTown@aol.com
Healthy Place Mental Health TV calls Smith’s interview, “One of the most powerful interviews I have watched.”
THE COURAGE TO SPEAK OUT
Healthy Place Newsletter, November 24, 2010 – This week’s Healthy Place Mental Health TV Show is one of the most powerful interviews I have watched. For several days, I couldn’t put my finger on exactly why that was. Then it struck me. I was amazed by our guest’s courage.
For 35 years, Keith Smith kept the secret of his rape from all but a few. He lived with recurring nightmares, fears, and the shame that comes along with a horrible thing like rape.
Over recent time, Keith decided to unveil his secret. “It’s time to speak out to raise public awareness of male sexual assault, to let other survivors know that they’re not alone and to help survivors of rape and violent crime understand that the emotion, fear and memories that may still haunt them are not uncommon to those of us who have shared a similar experience.”
I hope you’ll watch this show. I found there was something very haunting about the power of Keith’s message and how he came to it. See if you feel the same way.
See Keith’s live interview exclusively on Healthy Place TV, America’s Mental Health Channel.
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Keith Smith, author of Men in My Town, is a Stranger Abduction Sexual Assault Survivor and a Keynote Speaker on issues of child safety. He’s available as a speaker for conferences, seminars and fundraising events benefiting non-profit organizations, government agencies, companies and professional associations dedicated to helping children who have been sexually abused.
Here’s Keith’s story.
Keith Smith talks about Childhood Sexual Assault
“At the age of 14, I was abducted, beaten and raped by a stranger. It wasn’t a neighbor, a coach, a relative, a family friend or teacher. It was a recidivistpedophile predator who spent time in prison for previous sex crimes; an animal hunting for victims in the quiet, bucolic, suburban neighborhoods of Lincoln, Rhode Island. I was able to identify the guy and the car he was driving. Although he was arrested that night and indicted a few months later, he never went to trial. His trial never took place because he was brutally beaten to death in Providence before his court date. Thirty five years later, no one has ever been charged with the crime.”
“Out of fear, shame and guilt, I’ve been silent for over three decades, sharing my story with very few people. No more. The silence has to end. What happened to me wasn’t my fault. The fear, the shame, the guilt have to go. It’s time to stop keeping this secret from the people closest to me, people I care about, people I love, my longtime friends and my family. It’s time to speak out to raise public awareness of male sexual assault, to let other survivors know that they’re not alone and to help survivors of sexual abuse and violent crime understand that the emotion, fear and memories that may still haunt them are not uncommon to those of us who have shared a similar experience.”
___________________________________________________________________
The story of the abduction, beating and rape of a teenage boy from Lincoln, Rhode Island, followed by the unsolved brutal murder of his assailant in Providence, is now a moving novel written by the man who survived this vicious attack.
Men in My Town by Keith Smith. Based on Actual Events. Available now at Amazon.com in Paperback and Kindle.
Keith discusses “Men in My Town” with Dr. Teena Cahill
Click this link to watch Keith discuss Men in My Town with Dr. Teena Cahill on “Wisdom and Beyond.”
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Keith Smith is a Stranger Abduction Sexual Assault Survivor and author of Men in My Town. He’s available as a Keynote Speaker for conferences, seminars and fundraising events benefiting non-profit organizations, government agencies, companies and professional associations dedicated to helping children who have been sexually abused.
Here’s Keith’s story.
“At the age of 14, I was abducted, beaten and raped by a stranger. It wasn’t a neighbor, a coach, a relative, a family friend or teacher. It was a recidivist pedophile predator who spent time in prison for previous sex crimes; an animal hunting for victims in the quiet, bucolic, suburban neighborhoods of Lincoln, Rhode Island. I was able to identify the guy and the car he was driving. Although he was arrested that night and indicted a few months later, he never went to trial. His trial never took place because he was brutally beaten to death in Providence before his court date. Thirty five years later, no one has ever been charged with the crime.”
“Out of fear, shame and guilt, I’ve been silent for over three decades, sharing my story with very few people. No more. The silence has to end. What happened to me wasn’t my fault. The fear, the shame, the guilt have to go. It’s time to stop keeping this secret from the people closest to me, people I care about, people I love, my longtime friends and my family. It’s time to speak out to raise public awareness of male sexual assault, to let other survivors know that they’re not alone and to help survivors of rape and violent crime understand that the emotion, fear and memories that may still haunt them are not uncommon to those of us who have shared a similar experience.”
___________________________________________________________________
The story of the abduction, beating and rape of a teenage boy from Lincoln, Rhode Island, followed by the unsolved brutal murder of his assailant in Providence, is now a moving novel written by the man who survived this vicious attack.
Men in My Town by Keith Smith. Based on Actual Events.
Available now at Amazon.com in Paperback and Kindle.
Email the author at MenInMyTown@aol.com
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