A division of
Insights
Sexual Predators
In the following, you will find a compilation of "Tweets" and "Posts" by Church Protect's Founder, Jon K. Uhler, MS, LPC @JonKUhlerLPC &
Facebook/JonUhler ). These represent a small portion of what he addresses each month, as he focuses on a wide variety of topics dealing with both Predators and Survivors.
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As Church Protect's mission is to educate churches and other organizations on the true nature of the most sophisticated of Predators (those who specifically select churches and people of faith as their "primary targets of opportunity"), the information contained in these bite-sized nuggets of truth are designed to equip the reader to better understand the inner world and mindset of the Sophisticated Sexual Predator, in order to equip good people to better protect children and other vulnerable individuals from such Predators.
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The following is currently best viewed
on either a tablet or a pc
As we all experience the impact of the Corona Virus, finding ourselves at home even more than during the Holidays, and kids off from school for an extended period of time, it is far too easy for parents to permit their children to be on their phones and computers for longer periods of time than what would be normal. However, what most parents don't realize is how much Child Predators are active during such times, and work overtime to take advantage of such opportunities, turning "social distancing" into the perfect opportunity to "reach out and touch someone"... especially children.
Predators are at the top of their game when they know parents are distracted, fatigued, or are lulled into a sense of complacency or a false sense of security, as kids are permitted online with little meaningful protections and supervision. And, they hunt best when parents are unaware of the methods Predators employ to strategically hunt, select, close in on, and groom certain kids. The reality is that child sexual predators hunt best when parents are lulled into assuming that calm waters means that everything is fine. Given that Predators are unusually patient, persistent, and strategic in their methods of hunting, they are most active and effective when they know that a parent's resolve toward remaining vigilant begins to wane.
Much like sharks which focus on certain sections of coastline, child predators troll those areas of the internet where kids are known to frequent.
The most sophisticated of Predators are the most proficient in their use of deception, and have an unusual ability to make themselves appear as harmless and safe, lulling both children and parents into believing that the child's new online "friend" is simply harmless, and even fun-loving. But, few parents understand the methodical and strategic grooming process employed by Predators, as they artfully wait for the right opportunity to avail itself... when parents aren't around... when children are permitted to spend extended time online with the unusually attentive "friends" they've made while playing certain online games, on certain social media sites, or in certain chatroom. Thus, despite all the warning signs about the dangers of those waters, the parent is often lulled into a false sense of security, and eventually begins to assume that his or her child's activities are safe from danger.
The predator is unusually patient and tactical, and using time to his advantage. Like a shark canvasing the shoreline just beyond the waves, the child predator takes his time trolling the most likely places on the internet to find kids, and, once he identifies a child, he begins to prime his "target of opportunity," overriding the child's intuition, to where they become unable to distinguish friend from foe, unable to discern the harmless from the predatorial.
Coupled with a decreasing degree of vigilance regarding online activities, most parents have also been misinformed about the nature and profile of the most sophisticated of predators, which adds to their false sense of security. Many parents have come to believe that Predators are fairly easy to spot, as they are "creepy" and impulsive, which is the furthest thing from reality. Parents are unaware of the sophisticated predators ability to appear as something very harmless and playful, which enables the predator the ability to start closing the gap, and lulling both parent and child into believing that everything is safe, and that there is nothing to fear from getting close to such new found friends who seem so friendly, playful, harmless, andnice.
That is how Predators are able to introduce themselves, to get close enough to unsuspecting children to gain their confidence, to gather sufficient information from the children, and to create the sort of emotional bond with the intended victim that enables a dangerous attachment to be established... by which a predator can begin emotionally separating a child from his/her parents. They are able to masquerade so skillfully that both the child and parent can lose the ability to discern between a playful online greeting from a nefarious one.
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Though things have changed a bit in terms of their methods... given the mandate for social distancing... that simply means they have made hunting on the internet all that more of a priority during this brief interlude. Predators have found this "down time" to gear up for when their direct-contact can resume. So, the same groups of pedophiles are using social distancing as a means of improving their game toward establishing contact with children and "softening the targets" by promoting those activities that will afford them direct contact once things get back to normal. Through these target marketing efforts, they will have already "gotten a foot in the door"... made headway in the child's mind, introduced sexually provocative topics and images through seemingly "innocent" cartoons and animation, engaged them through anthropomorphic online games (where the child can take on an animal personality, lowered their inhibitions, peeked their curiosity, lured the child with emotional appeals, and relationally manipulated the child to where he/she is eager to go see the kinds of "fun adults" with whom they were interacting. The following categories have become some of the more useful kinds of "fun and games" for predators to utilize in their grooming: Drag (introducing the sexual theme of porn-influenced deviance) , anime (which introduces sexual themes and pictures), and Furries (introducing zoophilia/bestiality themes), which can serve to help introduce Trans (sex change) and pansexuality (no sexual limits in terms of sexual behavior). And, as seen in the following screen shots, there is a clear and intentional effort to market to younger and younger kids.
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The following have become widely utilized by Sexual Predators as a means of grooming kids, as they know the power of marketing and rebranding deviance. Are all adults within alternative life styles predators? Of course not. That would be like saying that anything that comes close to the shore at the beach must be a Predator. But, what I am saying is that for those who haven't carefully studied the minds, methods, motives, characteristics and profiles of the sexual predators, it places them at a significant disadvantage in terms of the ability to discern whether it is safe to venture into those waters. Parents can't be expected to know al the warning signs of dangerous waters, so that is where the experts come in... those who can give the all clear or raise the Red Flag warning, warning parents to keep their kids out of the water. The question is, who is raising the warnings vs. who is trying to suggest that there is nothing to fear by playing in those waters, so they can simply ignore the phobic guy with the signs?
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However, the silence by those "Communities" with respect to condemning and calling for the aggressive prosecution of those predators within their ranks is not only appalling, but very telling. So, decry as they might, claiming 'Phobia" against even the suggestion that there are predators who purposely embed themselves within those movements in order to easy access to vulnerable kids. However, 11+ years working with thousands of incarcerated sex offenders, reviewing their criminal files, hearing from them how grooming is accomplished, puts to rest such lame attempts at distracting from the reality that Predators use the the following to target and groom kids, as they know that many kids, who are either naive and are sitting ducks, or who've already been sexually groomed and/or exploited, gravitate to the following, and therefore are easy prey for sophisticated predators who are waiting in those waters.
From my 11+ yrs of working "up close and personal" with thousands of Predators behind bars... serving within a number of unique clinical settings, which afforded unlimited access to the full continuum of sex offenders in ways that the vast majority of academic researchers could only dream of... the one thing I learned is just how much I did not know about sexual predators... prior to working with them in prison.
Though I thought I understood about sexual predators from my readings in academic literature... through my graduate school course work, the lectures given by our tenured professors, and the assigned graduate school text book readings which all spent time on the subject of the criminal mind and sexual offenders... it was not until actually working with them in prison that I began to see what was NOT covered in those textbooks, and how much was NOT revealed, or perhaps known, in the academic literature.
And, even more important, I came to recognize just how flawed and contrived the research currently being pushed, which supposedly explains why Pedophiles offend, how there is such a thing as a MAP ("Minor Attracted Person"... AKA men who lust after kids)... men who are supposedly different from pedophiles in terms of Risk posed to kids, how there is such a thing as a "non-offending" pedophile, and how lusting after children comes from either developmental dynamics, past abuse, or brain abnormalities.
I discovered how much of what is covered in graduate textbooks and in the academic literature about pedophiles is either naively or knowingly being used to push some very dangerous myths... and, in some cases, knowingly contrived and deceptively-packaged agenda-driven pro-pedophile propaganda, which has resulted in an increased degree of risk to children.
Truth be told, the majority of research on pedophiles (whether they be labeled as such or not, whether they've been busted yet or not) has relied heavily upon time-limited structured interviews (in an office or institutional setting), which takes "at face value" the words (self-reports) of men who have either sexually harmed and exploited children, or have admitted wanting to do so... which considers those words to be truthful, reliable, and valid... which is then tabulated, extrapolated, and summarized into "findings"... which is then reviewed and approved by those who feel comfortable with viewing such a method as being able to produce reliable and valid results... which confers upon the researcher the title of "academic expert."
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However, when pressed about his methodology, the researcher is hard pressed to ensure that what he was told by the offender was not:
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what the offender had planned to say,
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strategized by the offender toward the end of manipulating the interviewer toward a desired outcome,
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provided to confirm what the researcher was already inclined to believe,
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used as a means of crafting a false narrative and doing the pedophile's bidding pushing a myth or generating talking points,
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used to get the false information into the "academic literature"... which will be peer reviewed and approved as "ground breaking findings",
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strategically used to influence the beliefs of future clinicians, public opinion, public policy, Sex Offender Risk Assessments, judicial opinions and decisions... which can result in flawed sex offender risk assessments... which then can be used in reframing the risk posed by some of the most dangerous of pedophiles... which can result in High Risk child offenders being inaccurately deemed Low Risk... providing the justification for early release.
As an expert in analyzing the power of impression management in research interviews, university professor, law school faculty, and Sociologist, Dr. Robert C. Sorensen, Ph.D., in his time-tested article in the Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology, Interviewing Prison Inmates, expert in research interviews, he highlighted the challenges in interviewing anyone "doing time", as there are inherent challenges with objectively determining the veracity of the inmate's self-report.
Though years have past since Dr. Sorensen authored his article, the truths have remained just as true today as they existed then, as the dynamics will always be the same. His words are simply axiomatic. Yet, how much of what has come to be believed about pedophiles is the result of their self-report? As they are the world's greatest deceivers (that is how the vast majority of sophisticated predators get away with offending as long as they do), to take them at face value during a structured interview with respect to their disclosure of reasons why they did what they did, and what contributed to their offending, is questionable at best.
Does that mean that interviews with inmates in general are suspect? No, as there are a wide variety of categories of offenders, and there are various reasons for research interviews. However, for those of us who've researched sex offenders in any depth, and for those of us Certified to administer the PCL-R, it is clear that those who've harmed children had a more extensive history of elaborate deception than any other category of criminal mind. ​
​There is no better illustration of the degree of deception than understanding who the target market is for the book, Pass the PCL-R.
Given that the Hare Psychopathy Checklist is a specialized forensic test, which is administered by a professional who has been certified in the use of the instrument, used to assess degrees of psychopathy, just exactly who might be interested in reading up on how to practice manipulating the clinician administering the test? Since it is a test reserved for those who are not clearly a threat to those in decision-making capacities, it is not the highly impulsive or bloody psychopaths who are generally administered the test.
The test is, to a large extent, reserved for those with a history of violent sexual offenses, which would include most sexual offenses against children. That is why the PA Sexual Offender Assessment Board includes the PCL-R in their assessment process for the purpose of informing the Parole Board of their findings. Therefore, the vast majority of those who would be interested in reading the book would likely be those with child sex offenses. Which highlights the high percentage of sophisticated predators that exists within that category of sex offender.
A little context will help in setting the stage for how I came to see what so few academic researchers have had a chance to see... and why some of my key findings... which I have addressed extensively since retiring from the prison system... differ in important respects from what is currently held to be true about pedophiles by so many in the academic world.
And, understanding my background will help you see how I came to be able to speak authoritatively about the reality that it is porn that fuels the deviance within the minds of men who say they are "attracted" to children.
It is such darkened and deviant men and their Predator Apologists (some of these Apologists are equally as nefarious and pushing these deceptions as an insurance policy, some are simply dangerously misguided) who are pushing the following very dangerous and fictitious man-made psychological myths onto the public:
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MAPs (Minor Attracted Persons) & "Non-offending" pedophiles... these fraudulent concepts have been pushed, toward influencing public sentiment, public perception, social media censorship (such as with Facebook and Twitter repeatedly banning my posts), public policy, legislation, legal opinions, and judicial decisions.
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"Gender Fluidity"... the idea that one's gender is not determined based upon biology, but by how one feels or perceives their gender to be, as to whether they are a male, female, or "other". This man-made psychological myth forms the foundation for the Trans Deception, deviant sex education being pushed upon elementary school aged kids, and push to enable kids to begin sex change treatments via chemical/hormonal methods and/or surgeries. The sudden push within professional mental health, psychology, and psychiatry of what used to be a rarely seen disorder... that of "Gender Dysphoria" as a major diagnostic issue... which also coincides with the belief in gender fluidity, and forms the basis for the justification of directing and influencing a young person in the direction of sex change.
Maybe Dr. Cantor is unaware of the impact of porn on the brain? That would be strange for someone who prides himself on being able to see the finer details of brain imaging, now wouldn't it? But, we'll give him the benefit of the doubt, and offer the following few resources to help him see that porn addiction is real.
And, maybe I could suggest that he begin dealing with porn in the lives of the clients he is working with when he is treating their sexual addiction? He may be unaware that it is the height of to suggest that a client would be a sex addict without actively feeding that addiction with porn.
How do you know there is more to those pushing such myths than their interest in genuine science? Because, when you ask a very simple question, they simply elect NOT to respond. They will debate until a simple and very reasonable question is posed... a question which shouldn't take much thought, and should illicit an immediate, clear, and unequivocal reply. Sadly, Dr. Cantor and Dr. Blanchard simply have elected not to reply.
And, Dr. Cantor refused to answer the question a second time when it was posed directly to him during the above exchange. If a picture is worth a thousand words, the fact that he remains unwilling to condemn such clear sexual grooming speaks volumes, especially given his attempt to push such manufactured concepts such a "non-offending" pedophiles and "Minor Attraction."
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If any clinician or researcher, who is willing to enter into debates about issues pertaining to normalizing the deviance of porn-influenced men, yet is unwilling to clearly answer with a bold denunciation against any such men who would get naked with kids, that is a huge concern... as they are not only Mandated Reporters, but also in a position of influence. Bright men, who demonstrate an ability to speak intensely about matters of male sexuality can and should be able to speak just as easily against men who would get naked with them. If they remain silent, then they simply are speaking volumes in terms of their ability to discern predatory behavior and their opinion of what is or is not harmlful and sexually
Such a refusal on the part of any man to avoid clearly denouncing any man who would get naked with children should cause us to reconsider the research he has conducted, as his methodologies and his "peer reviewers" may not be as objective as would be required to produce valid and reliable findings... especially if their research is being used to influence public opinion, public policy, risk assessments, forensic psychological evaluations parole determinations, and judicial decisions.
When addressing the dynamics of Predators, why is it crucial that a clinician be able to discern the difference between developmental issues and deviance? Because Predators know how to initially portray themselves as upstanding members of the community, in order to gain direct access to vulnerable youth. But, once they are finally discovered (usually due to their child porn use and distribution), they will attempt to portray themselves as victims of their own past abuse. And, they will attempt to assert that such unresolved trauma created a life-long "attraction" toward kids. That too is a grand lie, as genuine victims of past abuse become protective of kids, NOT sexually exploitive of them... and, they don't get into child porn. They may become addicted to adult porn, but never child porn. Why? Because they have a natural repulsion against anyone who would touch a child sexually, since that is what happened to them. And, those who were sexually abused as children will inevitably reveal symptoms along the way throughout the school years, they don't make their way into adulthood unscathed, well-adjusted, and well-socialized.
Thus, simply put, any man busted with child porn was not victimized himself. He's simply counting on the professional not knowing he is making it up.
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​How can you tell that is the case? Spend time doing sex offender treatment in prison, and you will clearly see the difference, as you will see the men who have adult victims have to restrain themselves from harming those who've harmed children. But, they will still use the term "baby rapers" to describe the pedophiles. And, that's why the pedophiles quickly learn that they can pass off the lies to the general public and to researchers, when they can't to the other inmates, as the inmates know about the pedophiles' consumption of child porn. That is simply a lie, and heard that floated countless times by the pedophiles in prison sex offender treatment groups. But, they know that flawed and/or deceptive research has helped pave the way for such a lie to be accepted. Thus, it has been time-tested powerful means of generating misplaced sympathies and getting a lighter punishment... or getting off all together, by being diverted to treatment instead of doing time in prison.
Additionally, is it crucial that a clinician be able to discern the difference between genuine victims and manipulative predators,are often unable to truly discern the extent to which they have been exploited, or are unable to directly cry out for help. As such, as Mandated Reporters, clinicians must be able to meaningfully discern the fraudulent attempts by Predators to appear as Survivors, and the actual signs and symptoms of sexual abuse, grooming, and exploitation.
As Mandated Reporters, clinicians must be able to meaningfully discern the fraudulent attempts by Predators to appear as Survivors, and the actual signs and symptoms of sexual abuse, grooming, and exploitation.
In the following video, listen to how many of the above clinical symptoms that Leoacia had, and how therapists along the way missed the clear symptoms of underlying abuse. Sadly, she encountered a predatory therapist who took advantage of her vulnerability, and influenced her toward "transitioning." That is something I am hearing on an increasing basis, as Survivors are starting to finally disclose the secrets they've been carrying. Lee has done a tremendous job doing a lot of the work necessary for healing, but only after she was used and abused by supposed professionals pushing the Trans Deception to manipulate her. Her story and her insights are worth listening to via her channel.
The DSM-IV was published in 1994, and first introduced the diagnosis of Gender Identity Disorders of Childhood. It was then revised in 2000 to Gender Identity Disorders, where it expands to include adolescents. Interestingly, the data shows an upward trend with that diagnosis after it is introduced as a billable diagnosis for teens. Notice anything after the diagnosis becomes billable in 1994?
1994
After approximately 13 years, a new version of the DSM (5) is published in May 2013.
After approximately 13 years, a new version of the DSM (5) is published in May 2013. This is when the diagnosis of
Gender Dysphoria suddenly appears for the first time in a prominent way... out of nowhere really... and, therefore, it became a billable diagnosis.
Some would suggest that the correlation between a new billable diagnosis and a sudden upward shift is simply coincidental in terms of trends relating to Gender Treatment and surgeries starting in May, 2013. Notice anything after the diagnosis becomes billable?
For those of us who've worked intensively with hurting teens, it is clear what is being pushed upon such young people, and what the result of this deception will be... simply adding insult to injury... applying a very costly superficial band aid to something that is a deep wound. Thus, it will never address the real issues, and only compound the problems in the long run, adding an entire layer of stuff that needs to be addressed before healing can start. In her video, Mackenzie does an excellent job describing the multiplicity of dynamics in play (take note at 8:45). Though her language is a bit rough, it is worth overlooking that, as it simply means that she is being genuine and raw. It becomes clear that such young people are vulnerable to an agenda-driven "gender therapist" who would direct them into transitioning, instead of truly helping them with the real underlying issues.
Since the Trans Deception was launched within the past 15 years, it will mean that there has been enough time for the reality to manifest itself to the victims of this ruse, just how badly they were misled by the professionals they trusted to show them the way to healing and help. As more and more of these brave Survivors are starting to put their stories out on video, the word in starting to spread to those who felt they were the only one. To see just how many young people are finally speaking out, spend some time looking at the videos being posted by De-transitioners. You will hear the same theemes repeated, which should open our eyes to the deception that has been foisted upon these young people... and, why the Predators and their apologists are becoming more aggressive in their efforts to silence the truth about this diabolical lie.
From the unique professional vantage point... afforded to me from working within some very unique settings within the Pennsylvania prison system... I found things that were not covered in my graduate texts or the literature (such as myths about what makes pedophiles sexually violate and harm children), but I also found that some of the most important commonly touted academic findings and accepted beliefs about pedophiles were in fact NOT true.
I had been told that such men lust after kids because they are "Minor Attracted," that they long to touch kids and violate them, to defile their innocence, due to developmental factors, genetic issues, or early sexual abuse. The reality? For the sophisticated pedophiles... those who have multiple victims over the course of an extended period of time... such supposed well-established truths are simply NOT true.
Those beliefs are actually myths, which have been repeated long enough, and reported often enough as "understood" truth, so that professionals and the public have come to believe them to be truths based upon solid research. Yet, they are neither true, nor have been based upon solid research. The reality that emerged over a decade of intensive forensic filed research revealed a very different reality of what makes men long to sexually defile and harm children.
And, as I have found it increasingly necessary to speak out about the realities of these myths, born from flawed research methodologies, those who understand what it takes to do solid research have begun to thank me for speaking up.
"So, what made my professional
background different?
I had: (1) the background of an experienced therapist, (2) the drive, purpose, and approach of an embedded field researcher, and (3) an unheard of degree of unfettered and unlimited access to the greatest concentration of criminal minds that is truly only available to prison Psychology Staff."
From my 11+ years working within an intensive clinical capacity, the reality that emerged completely ran counter to the findings being pushed by certain select academic "Pro-MAPs" (Minor Attracted Persons) researchers... who have had very little proper access to study reliably study Sophisticated Sexual Predators. However, despite the huge problems with their research methodology, their flawed findings are not only influencing graduate school text books and future clinicians, but also are being used to influence public opinion, public safety measures, public policies, and judicial determinations in dangerous ways.
The end result of their unchallenged, yet unreliable findings, has predictably led to dangerous predators being assessed to be Low Risk, due to a misunderstanding of the risk levels posed by the most sophisticated of Child Predators.
So, what makes my professional background so unique, to be able to suggest that I have some important clinical perspective to share with parents, toward keeping their kids safe from Sophisticated Child Predators? What proof exists that shows I am qualified to speak to the characteristics and darkness that lies under the surface of pedophiles, and the dangers posed by such sophisticated predators?
Simply put, my clinical background and unfettered access enabled me to approach my forensic work with eyes to see what most others have missed. Context in this case is important, as part of the reason for my ability to see what others researchers have missed is that I was not approaching my work within the prison with sexual predators in the usual route... as a clinician with a criminal justice background. Sadly, it seems as though very few (if any) of the psychology staff who work within the prison system... who could access the kind of men that I had access to (though my position afforded me much more time with such inmates, as that was my primary job)... simply don't seem to appreciate what a gold mine they have available to them in terms of insights just waiting to be discovered.
It is almost as though, those who have the opportunity to do a deep dive, simply aren't interested in doing so, while those on the outside in academia... who are limited in terms of their ability to gain access to the full continuum of offenders... simply don't have the access to do what they would love to do. So, what made my professional background different? I had (1) the background of an experienced therapist, (2) the drive, purpose, and approach of an embedded field researcher, and (3) an unheard of degree of unfettered and unlimited access to the greatest concentration of criminal minds that is truly only available to prison Psychology Staff.
In terms of my clinical background prior to the PA Dept. of Corrections, I had been spent working as a marriage and family therapist, with adults who "saw there was a problem, admitted there was a problem, and who wanted to get better." I then transitioned to working primarily with adults who had suffered with the effects of severe and prolonged sexual abuse. And, then transitioning to working with Severely Emotionally Disturbed youth "in the system" (who had been removed from home do to either criminal behaviors and/or extremely-hard-to-manage behavioral health issues... a fair amount of which stemmed from sexual abuse). I not only enjoyed my work, but found a great deal of satisfaction in making a difference in the lives of those with whom I worked.
However, in 2004, I received a most unexpected communication from one of the Chief Psychologists within the prison system... someone with whom I had little prior knowledge. After learning of my intensive work with "multiple placement failure" teens... my enterprising disposition... and my dedication to a faith-based approach to treatment... he reached out to me regarding a most extraordinary "opportunity." Apparently, the Psychology Department within the PA Dept. of Corrections was in a quandary, in that it had been unable to meet a Court-directed mandate. Evidently, as a result of a major law suit, the Secretary of Corrections had been ordered to provide treatment to inmates in long term "high security" environments. Though the Secretary of Corrections had given a directive and deadlines, those deadlines were missed multiple times by the DOC's Clinical Directors and prison Chief Psychologists, due to a lack of knowledge regarding how to provide effective clinical treatment to those with extreme levels of pathology. The Court's and the Secretary's patience were running thin, so his Special Assistant became personally involved on his behalf. Trust me... he was NOT pleased with the lack of progress by those within his Clinical Department.
Though I initially said, "Thanks, but no thanks" to the offer (as my background to that point had not included incarcerated adult males), to the Chief Psychologist of SCI-Cresson, he was willing "to level with me," and admitted that the prison system was in a quandary due to not knowing how to create an appropriate intensive treatment program to work with the state's "worst of the worst" inmates (those with either mental health and behavioral health issues) being held in long-term solitary. He added that, if I would consider coming on board to help them, I would be designing something that had never previously existed within any prison in the US... an intensive treatment program for men in long-term solitary for both mental health and behavioral health offenders.
After I agreed to accept the challenge, I soon found out how many of the PA DOC's seasoned lead-clinicians were in need of help understanding how to do effective treatment to such an extreme population within such an extreme environment. It would turn out that all the DOC's specialized forensic treatment units serving as the Department's diagnostic and assessment unit (the Special Observation Unit), and its shorter-term and longer-term behavioral management units (Special Management Unit & Long-Term Segregation Unit) would look to me for their treatment program model & best-practices. In return, they helped me understand the psychology of dealing with resistant security staff within a prison setting.
The disclosure of the Department's quandary was confirmed for me once I accepted the opportunity, as I happened upon an internal "working group" memo (4-21-2004) drafted 8 months prior to my recruitment, which revealed the reality that nothing like what I was being asked to do in terms of a comprehensive intensive treatment program within solitary confinement had previously existed anywhere in the country. That is why, their preliminary concept design Proposal noted, there were "no alternative programs to provide a real basis for comparison." That was another way of saying... nothing like what was being proposed had ever been successfully tried before in the US. It also showed the degree of intensity of the proposed unit... by what they were originally planning to call the treatment unit... the HSTU (High Security Treatment Unit). They subsequently decided to change the name to the SSNU (Secure Special Needs Unit), as they realized they would find it difficult to recruit for the position. But, a rose by any other name is still a ...
And, happening upon the internal memo confirmed all the more that I was being afforded an opportunity to access a world of psychopaths and sexual predators like few in the outside world of academic research.
To those serving as professors within the halls of universities, this would be their field of study from which their research would be undertaken as permission was granted and theories posited. For me, it would be my full-time work environment from which truths would emerge and insights would be gained.
So, I dug deep, and used every day strategically to do my job, and to do my research. And, why was I so driven? Having worked with so many Survivors of sexual predators, I owed it to them to find out what really drove men to perpetrate offenses against women and children, to find out what contributed to turning men into those who would target the vulnerable, in order to provide Survivors with the answers they need with respect to how such men could harm others so callously, and the public with insights to better protect women and children from such predators, and to see which, if any of those men, could possible change.
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So, how effective was I in doing what so few within the PA DOC thought possible, and doing what had never been successfully accomplished within the prison system? Well, seeing the entire Memo will tell the rest of the story...
Though it was clear prior to my arrival, that the Department's clinical experts were at a loss to know how to fulfill the Secretary's mandate, it became all the more evident that they were simply stuck... once it became evident to all that I had designed and implemented the intensive treatment unit, had produced 6 months worth of outcomes, and had created an automated clinical management tools... while all the other program directors were still struggling with the concept design phase.
The contrast became all too stark, which eventually required the Secretary's personal assistant to convene a special working group meeting to help the other programs finally complete what had been requested nearly a year prior. The meeting was held at my institution, as I was to asked to formally present my program for the heads of the DOC's other specialized programs, in order to help them with being able to finally meet their respective mandates... though a year and a half after the original deadline, and 6 months beyond the second deadline.
To ensure completion, the Secretary enlisted the Office of Planning, Research, Statistics and Grants to help ensure the other programs finally got underway.
The Secretary's Special Assistant requested that I personally be made available to help the directors of DOC's other specialized programs understand how to design and implement programming in their respective programs of my work. Though she had heard of my success, and had seen the outcomes, it was an entirely different experience for her see my program for herself, to understand how I had accomplished what had never before existed in any prison within the US, to take a tour of my Unit, to see me in action, to speak confidentially to the inmates about how they felt about the quality of treatment they were receiving from me within the program, to review the program and treatment documents I had generated, and to see a live demonstration of the automated treatment and program management tool I had created as I presented it to them during the day-long meeting.
Given that the other specialized programs were still stuck on the concept stage, she knew they would need my help of they were to ever meet the Secretary's Directive... nearly a year beyond their respective deadlines. So, what was her response to what she saw?
It's one thing for the key contact for the Secretary of Corrections to be "extremely impressed," giving my work the stamp of approval from the highest levels, but what about those in charge of the technical aspects, in terms of analyzing the outcomes of treatment program efficacy, and validity, reliability, and efficacy of the findings and the outcomes of my work? Such technical scrutiny is rare, and carries significant a rare degree professional and academic scrutiny
Given my groundbreaking work and clear success with such a unique endeavor within the world of Corrections, many have asked why I haven't submitted my work and findings for academic publishing. My response? That may still happen as time permits... once I am finished with completing a number of important projects intended to help the public understand the minds, methods, and motives of the most sophisticated of sexual predators. Given the important of such information being made known to the general public, such information presented for academic consumption will simply have to wait for the time being.
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Given the serious implications of what I share in my trainings and online work... in terms of:
(1) revealing the Red Flag Indicators and Characteristics of Predators, (2) debunking the myths that have been pushed in academic literature about "non-offending" pedophiles/"Minor Attracted" men, and
(3) revealing that dangerous flaws that exist within the STATIC-99R when it comes to it's reliability & validity of assessing the most dangerous of pedophiles (as the nation's most widely used Sex Offender Risk Assessment, it is being used to inaccurately label dangerous High Risk pedophiles as Low Risk, thus making them appear to be Low Risk in terms of the danger they pose to public safety, thus making them eligible for early release from prison, or to avoid prison time all together)...
it is important that I be able to demonstrate that I not only have the professional qualifications to make such assertions, but also demonstrate that my work, research, and findings have been reviewed by multiple experts over the span of a decade within the field of Corrections and forensic psychology.
Impressive as it is to have the Secretary of Corrections (Dr. Jeffrey A. Beard holds a Ph.D in psychology) and his key staff give glowing feedback about one's work, and as huge of an accomplishment as it is to do what no one within a State Agency could do in terms of creating the first treatment program within long-term solitary, some will still ask if I am able to produce intensive "peer review" of my work, which enables me to speak authoritatively on the subjects I address? Am I able to show that my assessments and statements are more than not just my personal opinion, but the opinion of a professional who's work was carefully reviewed and intensively scrutinized by experts with years in the field, not just years in the classroom? I'm always glad when they ask. For, that "peer review" is quite noteworthy.
"My clinical perspective, as a therapist "from the street," gave me eyes to see what so many within the prison system either miss or are disinterested in researching, and the opportunity to work for years within a prison gave me unprecedented access to see what so many outside academic researchers would simply never be afforded the opportunity to see."
So, why is it important to understand my clinical background prior to me sharing the clinical insights I gained from working with Sophisticated Sexual Predators? It's important because my clinical background gave me the drive to take full advantage of such a unique opportunity, and my clinical perspective gave me eyes to see what so many within the prison system either miss or are disinterested in researching, My clinical perspective, as a therapist from the street," gave me eyes to see what so many within the prison system either miss or are disinterested in researching, and the opportunity to work for years within a prison gave me unprecedented access to see what so many outside academic researchers would simply never be afforded the opportunity to see.
For me, such an opportunity would be one that I would make use of everyday. I was driven to find out how men became profoundly criminal, and how men became sexual predators. And, as my focus has always been toward helping people heal, trusting what the client discloses, giving clients the benefit of the doubt in terms of them acting with "the best of intentions", and believing that the majority of "acting out" came from unresolved past hurts, I was the exception within the prison system. As most Psychology Staff believe that such men are either "hardwired" (born bad), or had developed a criminal mind due to criminal thinking which would likely not be "unlearned", the majority of staff put very little energy into figuring out why these men did what they did (which could help with rehabilitation), or the process by which they morphed into predators (which could help with determining the extent to which the offender still posed a risk to the community).
That was my clinical perspective or "orientation" upon starting my work within the prison system, with the unique population of men (considered to be "intractable to treatment") assigned to me in long-term Solitary Confinement. That is a treatment focus from a "positive" perspective... unlike the vast majority of clinicians within the prison system who come from a "containment" perspective... keeping the clients contained in terms of symptom management and behavioral adjustment, while he is "contained" within a prison setting. Those are two very different clinical approaches, which really have very different clinical objectives. And, the view of the client is vastly different. And, that difference would eventually prove invaluable in helping me see things that the vast majority of other clinicians within the prison system seem to miss... and not be interested in researching.
The opportunity was a unique one... one which would enable me to see what few outside clinicians and academic researchers would ever get a chance to experience... so, I accepted. Thus began my 11+ year tenure (2005-2016) as a 'Psychological Services Specialist' (I was the first psychology staff to be granted that designation "right from the gate", per a special exemption from Central Office) within the prison system.
My Clinical Work and Insights were Extensively Peer Reviewed
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"The most intensive kind of 'Peer Review' is performed by those experts with actual years of professional experience "in the field", who know what they're looking at when they see it, who will closely scrutinize a body of work for it's methodology, it's validity, it's reliability... and for it's efficacy. That kind of professional expert review takes any such research to a higher level... out of the realm of merely academic theory, and into the realm of prededent setting, best practices, and expert experience. Not all research can stand up to that degree of expert Peer Review, or produce that findings and outcomes at that level."
As I share in my trainings some of what I will be sharing in this here, I am often asked how effective was I at making the transition into such an unusual environment? That is an important question, as the clinical insights I now share about the Red Flag Characteristics of Sophisticated Sexual Predators are derived from over a decade of serving within a number of unique clinical capacities within the prison system.
So, how effective was I in making the most of the unique opportunities afforded to me during my time working within the prison system? How well did I come to understand the kinds of men with whom I worked intensively in treatment? Since anyone within the field of psychology can claim they've got unique insights into populations not readily studied, they should be able to provide objective proof of their expertise... both findings and outcomes that have been intensively reviewed by highly qualified professionals within their field... not just "Peer Reviewed" by those who've only worked within the halls of academia.
The highest level of 'Peer Reviewed' work is not necessarily that which has been reviewed by a group of academic "experts" who've become known as experts because of the numbers of studies they've managed to get published in academic journals (as admirable as that may be). Truth be told, many of those 'experts' have spent the bulk of professional careers within an office setting or within the halls of academia, and producing research generated by means of graduate assistants' observations and structured interviews. The most intensive kind of "Peer Review" is performed by those experts with actual years of professional experience "in the field", who know what they're looking at when they see it, who will closely scrutinize a body of work for it's methodology, it's validity, it's reliability... and for it's efficacy. That kind of professional expert review takes any such research to a higher level... out of the realm of merely academic theory, and into the realm of precedent setting, best practices, and expert experience. Not all research can stand up to that degree of expert Peer Review, or produce that findings and outcomes at that level.
So, was my work ever "Peer Reviewed"? When I am asked that question, it usually is asked by those inquiring if I have ever had any of my work and my findings published in an academic journal. My response? Maybe someday... sooner rather than later. To date, I have not, simply due to entering into developing intensive child protection and Survivor Support right after retiring from the prison system. However, I am happy to report, that, yes, my work was "peer reviewed" for over a decade.
Were there any experts within the field of forensic psychology who closely scrutinized it, not from a distance, but "on site" over months and years... who looked at all aspects of my work, my methodology, and scrutinized my outcomes for reliability and validity, and real-world efficacy? Simply put, yes. In fact, my work was more than just reviewed. It was put under an unusually close degree of scrutiny, given that the program was personally requested by the Secretary of Corrections. That made my work a high priority, which meant that many people with years of forensic treatment expertise from multiple levels within the PA Dept. of Corrections would closely analyze, scrutinize, and review my work... "inside and out", to ensure the program, it's methods, it's findings, and it's outcomes met the highest of standards of psychological research.
In fact, my expert "peer reviewers," who were throughout the highest levels of the PA Dept. of Corrections, spent years closely reviewing my work and scrutinizing my outcomes... and found the quality of my outcomes were not only noteworthy, but were also groundbreaking and precedent setting, and would serve as the model for the rest of the specialized programs throughout the PA DOC. So, has my work been "peer reviewed"? I will simply let the experts, who served as my "peers reviewers" over the years, speak for themselves.
So, a decade's worth of "Peer Review" of my clinical treatment and program development found my work to be commendable, which was heartening working, as it confirmed my level of ability and understanding of profoundly impulsive psychopaths and sexual predators. But, what about my understanding of the more sophisticated types, which would attempt to "fake it to make it" with the Parole Board, thus being granted the opportunity to leave prison and return back into the community? Was there any "Peer Review" of my clinical treatment, knowledge, and ability to assess and evaluate the more highly adept predators? As those kinds of predators would prove to become the focus of my most important clinical work and research, would there be any peer reviews of that work, to demonstrate that I also had a unique grasp of their minds and motives? Again, I'll simply let the seasoned professionals who served as my Peer Reviewers answer that for me...
As my reputation grew early on among those who closely scrutinized my clinical work and my ability to assess and evaluate sophisticated predators, so did their positive feedback and their recommendations. It was because of my growing reputation that I would be recommended to be among a small handful of PA DOC clinical staff invited to be trained by Dr. Robert Hare, Ph.D. toward forensic Certification in the PCL-R. And, it would be those qualifications that would enable me to assume responsibility for overseeing the Sex Offender Treatment on one of the DOC's specialized High Intensity Sex Offender Units, specifically designed to treat the Highest Risk of Sex Offender and SVPs (Sexually Violent Predators). Both were unique opportunities, so I took full advantage of them, as both would contribute to what would become an in-depth understanding of the mind, methods, and motivations of the most sophisticated of white collar psychopathic predators... the sophisticated child sexual offender.
And, it was the extensive amount of intensive clinical experience, the thousands of hours working with the full continuum of sex offenders, and the peer reviewed treatment work and clinical insights that enabled me to continue on with my professional development after retiring from the prison system, which has enabled me to continue with my professional work and research with sex offenders, and to be accepted into Membership by some of the premiere organizations in forensic research and sex offender treatment the country.
Though "Peer Reviews" are always vital to discern the extent to which the researchers knows what he's talking about, but anecdotal evidence adds all the more weight and credibility to the reliability of the findings. As such, I have included three rare pieces of unsolicited feedback, in the form of two letters: one sent to me from a family member of an inmate (quite a rare thing to receive), the second from the very first inmate who went through the program I designed... one of the PA DOC's most problematic inmates (referenced above)... who, upon completing the program, decided to write "a letter of encouragement" to other inmates admitted into the program, and the third from a highly assaultive inmate that was sent to the SSNU near the end of my time running the program (he took the time to write from another prison to which he was transferred). These three provides a rare glimpse into the effectiveness of the kind of program I initially designed.
As invaluable as Peer Review is in terms of affirming professional and technical expertise, and as unique as it is to hear from unsolicited feedback from the DOC's most notoriously problematic inmates, and even to receive outside corroboration from family members regarding the efficacy of my clinical work, what about "Client Reviews"... reviews the inmates within general population? Is the positive feedback just based upon my work with a few select inmates, or did other "regular" inmates provide unsolicited feedback over the years, to confirm that I was effective with the full range of men who have run afoul of the law, who are anti-social, or are sociopathic? The answer is a resounding, "Yes." The following represents just a sample of the many notes I received over the 11+ years I worked with such men...
High Intensity Sex Offender Unit
To what do I attribute my success with the inmates during the years that I was in charge of the treatment? Part of my success was due to being gifted as a therapist in being able to intuitively tune into the subjects I'm working with... the ones few are inclined to deal with alone behind closed doors... knowing that the goal is to permitted to be unsecured for the first time in such a high-security environment... free of shackles and restraints.
When it's just you and them, you either gain an understanding of them... to where they respect you enough to where they're willing to control themselves, listen to you, and work with you ...
Or, you can find yourself dealing with something that may surprise you... and that can get ugly real fast.
But, the other part of my success with these inmates was my willingness to treat them as people, and invest countless hours with them in their world, when other staff wouldn't.
It was that combination which enabled me to enter into their world... which, in turn, enabled me to learn how their minds worked, to learn why they did what they did, and to become the way they were. I simply was driven to know. They realized that I was serious about wanting to understand them... and to help them change to the extent they were willing... so they were willing to let me in to their inner worlds.
In light of the success I achieved with such difficult inmates, I was subsequently asked by DOC officials to share my work, by participating in specialized trainings... both within the state prison system and at "outside" forensic conferences... on how to design and implement such specialized treatment. They even asked if I would consider publishing my work, but I simply couldn't afford the time to take them up on that. But, to think that the highest levels of the PA DOC's Bureau of Treatment Services would serve as Peer Reviewers was quite the complement... given that, when the following offer was made, I had only worked with the DOC for 8 months. But, the trainings were a great opportunity for me to share with other how to approach treatment within Solitary Confinement.
After transitioning from my work within Solitary to working with the State's Highest Intensity Sexual Offenders... and, after 11+ years serving in a wide variety of clinical capacities within the prison system... what would the record show regarding how well my work was received by the PA DOC? Though it was meaningful to have the Superintendent of the prison take his time, after I retired, to send me a personal note (on behalf of both him and the Secretary of Corrections, which has become a special momento of mine), wishing me well as I retired from over a decade of commendable service.
the most meaningful assessments were offered by those who worked closest to me over the years, saw my professional work first-hand, and knew me best...
And, in addition to "peer reviews" from the PA Department of Corrections, I was pleased to reconnect with Dr. Ralph Phillips, Ph.D, the former Assistant Dean of Geneva College's Adult Degree Completion Program, and lead faculty for the program's academic research submission. Having served under him in an adjunct faculty position for 8 years (teaching a wide array of courses within their Human Services program, including developing a specialized course on Abnormal Psychology), his words carry special significance for me.
Once I started my work within the prison system, it quickly became apparent to me why there was the need for the prison system to recruit someone with the right clinical background, skill set, and willingness to work with some of the greatest "behavioral management cases" in the state, as it was revealed that not only did existing psychology staff NOT want to touch such an assignment, but they also lacked the knowhow to create such a treatment unit... a groundbreaking forensic program...which would become the nation's first-ever intensive psychiatric residential treatment program within long-term Solitary Confinement.
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Also, as I started my work within the prison system, it quickly became apparent to me that I would have an opportunity to do a deep dive into the minds of Predators like few outside academic researchers would ever get a chance. From my research during graduate school... which utilized both quantitative and qualitative methods of research and analysis... I became familiar with the unique insights that can be derived from field research, especially when it comes to discovering the characteristic dynamics, drives, and motivations that underlie why people do what they do.
The amazing thing about my position within the prison system, is that I not only had access to inmates within my programs, but also inmates in regular Solitary Confinement, inmates in the DMHS locked Mental Health Unit, inmates on the mental health roster, and inmates in the prison's general population. Unlike any outside academic researcher, I had complete access to any and all inmates, for months or years, with the ability to schedule as many sessions as my schedule could afford. That would simply never be possible for an outside researcher. And, I had complete access to all inmate personal, criminal, medical, psychological, and psychiatric files and records, with the ability to readily corroborate information. Again, a rare and amazing opportunity, rarely afforded to outside academic researchers.
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In addition to my intensive qualitative research into the minds of sexual predators and white collar psychopaths, I was able to look methodically into the concerns I had over the nation's most widely utilized sex offender Risk assessment toll, the STATIC-99R. It is a useful tool in that it is fairly quick to score, deals with static factors (factual data from an offenders past personal and criminal history), and has a lot of data to confirm it's reliability, with regarding degree of risk posed to the community by an offender, with respect to almost all populations of sex offenders... except one kind of perpetrator... the sophisticated child sexual offender.
That is a huge concern for obvious reasons, especially as it has to do with men being released from custody because they've been scored as low risk, when they are anything but low risk. And, given that few clinicians using the STATIC-99R have the clinical experience and expertise from working in an intensive fashion with sophisticated child predators, they are understandably hesitant to override the instrument's inaccurate rating when it comes to this high risk population. Sadly, that simply enables very dangerous pedophiles to manipulate the untrained or naive clinicians into an early release from custody, thus increasing the likelihood that future children will become victims.
Near the end of my tenure with the PA DOC, I took it upon myself to look at the reliability and efficacy of the STATIC-99R on those who would be deemed to be low risk by the authors of the instrument, based upon their assumptions made about older men who abuse children. The assumption is that their risk of offending decreases with age, as their hormone levels decrease. However, that flawed assumption is do to a lack of qualitative research with such predators... studying them in the right way behind bars. And, because I had access to data that most academic researchers would not, I took it upon myself to invest the time accessing the information as it related to how well did the STATIC 99R "get it right" when it comes accurately assessing men deemed to be Sexually Violent Predators. The outcome, using the access I had to DOC computers was even worse than I has suspec
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Predator Judge, age 71, Crimes stemming from 17 yrs of Predatory rapes, from 2010-2017. He will be eligible for Parole in 4 yrs.
Out of a systematic examination of 50 Sexually Violent Predators on the Megan's Law website, and reviewing their criminal files, it turned out that the STATIC 99R scored 75% of the SVPs as Low Risk...
thus indicating they only needed the lowest amount of sex offender treatment offered within the institution.
That's a horrific flaw, as that same instrument is often times being used on predators prior to their original sentencing... allowing the case to be made that the offender is not as deviant as he truly is, thus lowering his sentence, or even enabling him to avoid prison time all together. And, the STATIC 99R is being used within prisons to determine what level of risk a pedophile poses to children. Unconscionably, many very dangerous child predators are being labeled as "Low Risk," thus being considered for early release from prison.
In the Fall of 2015, there were 2450 sex offenders within the PA Dept. of Corrections, out of a total of 49,224 inmates, or approximately 5% of the prison population. Of that population of incarcerated sex offenders, using the STATIC 99-R, 1050 had been scored as Low Risk, 1400 as High Risk. Of those men within the 2450 inmate sex offender population, 770 had been designated to be SVP (Sexually Violent Predators). Now, the question is, what percentage of the SVPs were scored correctly by the assessment instrument, whereby the SVPs were assigned to High Risk Sex Offender Treatment (2 years of treatment) vs. Low Intensity Sex Offender Treatment (1 years of treatment)? Surely, given the degree of danger required to be established for such a designation to imposed by a judge, we would assume that a valid and reliable risk assessment could already reflect that degree of threat even prior to the determination. And, surely, All the more, after the determination is made, right? Given the high threshold that needs to be met, we should assume that an instrument would correctly rate an SVP as High Risk, even without needing to know that such a label was given to the Predator, right? And, given that Diane Dombach, Clinical Director for the PA Sex Offender Assessment Board shared with me (she and I met for coffee at Starbucks in Somerset, PA, and discussed our mutual concerns over the high numbers of forensic clinicians poorly trained in properly identifying and assessing the actual level of risk posed by sophisticated pedophiles) that only about 1/3 of those cases referred to the SOAB for court-ordered assessments will meet the criteria for SVPs, one would certain expect to find that it correctly identified as High Risk the upper 1/3 of the most serious child offenders, right? Well, I was finding it to be quite the opposite, so I did the reseach to be sure that it wasn't my own "rater bias."
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Given that I was finding that I was needing to "override" some clearly inaccurate scores for some very dangerous sex offenders, I became concerned about the flaws of the assessment instrument when it came to the population of sophisticated older child predators. So, I felt I had an obligation to make use of the information at my disposal. What was the outcome? Out of a systematic examination of 50 Sexually Violent Predators on the Megan's Law website, and reviewing their criminal files, it turned out that the STATIC 99R scored 75% of the SVPs as Low Risk (the number likely would have trended much higher if I had reviewed the remaining 700 SVPs, but I simply didn't have the time), thus indicating they only needed the lowest amount of sex offender treatment offered within the institution. That's a horrific flaw, as that same instrument is often times being used on predators prior to their original sentencing... allowing the case to be made that the offender is not as deviant as he truly is, thus lowering his sentence, or even enabling him to avoid prison time all together. And, the STATIC 99R is being used within prisons to determine what level of risk a pedophile poses to children. Unconscionably, many very dangerous child predators are being labeled as "Low Risk," thus being considered for early release from prison.
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As such, there is sufficient evidence to call into serious question the validity and reliability of the STATIC 99R when it comes to it's ability reliably discern the Risk Level of the most dangerous and sophisticated of pedophiles... the very ones who benefit most from the revision that happened a number of years ago. To suggest that a pedophile's "lust", predatory inclinations, and risk is somehow connected to hormone related, thus tied to age, is to simply reveal a very dangerous misunderstanding of the dynamics of lust vs. those of psychopathy & deviance. When it comes to the STATIC 99R, the sophisticated pedophiles (those with multiple number of victims over an extended period of time) will generate a much lower risk score than is actually the case, generating a false profile of the child offender in terms of the true risk he likely poses to children.
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The following are a sample of some of my notes from that research. You can see how much information was available to me by virtue of my working within the prison system...
The nature of an assessment for pedophiles should not be a simple static-factor assessment, but rather must assess degrees of deviance, psychopathy, and sophistication from a qualitative and dynamic perspective, and, among other things, must take into account:
(1) the underlying motivational dynamics of their offending (deviance, malevolence, the drive to defile, the degree of sadistic satisfaction, the degree to which the victim's silence was acquiescence and subsequent compliance was obtained , the history of porn consumption and progression, etc.)
(2) the degree of planning, calculation, intent, intentionality, grooming, & sophistication
(3) the degree of minimization,
(4) the degree of conscience & remorse
(5) the degree of empathy,
(6) the degree of impression management, and
(7) the degree of truthfulness
(8) the degree of deviance evidenced within each crime
(9) the degree of victim empathy
(10) the degree of acceptance of responsibility
(11) the degree of insight
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Would it be possible to construct such an instruments that could do all that? Yes. And, just prior to my retirement, I began the process of developing such an instrument (consisting of multiple self-inventories).
As important as it was for me to verify that the STATIC 99R is inherently flawed when it comes to accurately assessing levels of risk for sophisticated and dangerous pedophiles, I believe my other findings from the more qualitative analysis are even more important, as they shine important light on the some inaccurate conclusions that have been drawn about the origins and process of psychopathy (especially as it relates to the sophisticated white collar psychopaths), and about the some very inaccurate information about men who long to sexually defile children (Pedophiles who try to rebrand themselves as "Minor Attracted") which has been used to shape public sentiment, public opinion, public policy, and legal decisions, and judicial sentencing... thus placing the most vulnerable members of our society at risk of being targeted by sophisticated child sexual predators.
Simply put, elusive creatures are best studied from a "behind-the-scenes" &
"embedded" field research approach...
where the researcher can spend an extended period of time within the subject's environment...
as that approach yields much more reliable & insightful data, by increasing the likelihood of seeing genuine behavior in unscripted moments.
I sensed that such an opportunity would prove invaluable in studying Sophisticated Predators, and I would find my hunch was correct. Simply put, elusive creatures are best studied from a "behind-the-scenes" and "embedded" field research approach... where the researcher can spend an extended period of time within the subject's environment... as that approach yields much more reliable & insightful data, by increasing the likelihood of seeing genuine behavior in unscripted moments. Every now and again, a researcher has the opportunity to go deep, to spend the time necessary to blend in, to where the subjects begin to act in ways they never would if they recognized people were actually paying close attention and taking copious notes. That's why we are eager to hear from those rare professionals, as we know intuitively that their position likely enabled them to see and understand things previously left to the imagination.
As I knew it would be a unique opportunity to dig deep inside the habitat and mind of Sophisticated Predators, I purposed to make the most of it every day, and... I did so for over a decade.
So my journey into the seldom-seen world of long-term Solitary Confinement began, as I was tasked with creating what few thought possible... working with a population of inmates few wanted to work with... who would normally just simply get locked away for years... simply left to emotionally and psychologically deteriorate... working with those considered to be prison system's "worst-of-the-worst... those deemed "intractable to treatment"...with some who would actually be released back out into society directly from that kind of environment, which was an accident just waiting to happen.
To say the least, little can prepare you for what you will walk into, as you step into the maximum-security world of Solitary Confinement. Extremely intense would be one way to describe it. An excellent article in the UC Irvine Law Review gave a brief glimpse of what its like on a Solitary Confinement unit, where the writer described her experiences of stepping on to such units for brief periods of time:
It would be intense enough if it was simply known for the sensory deprivation, as, psychologically, being enclosed within a small space 23-24 hours a day becomes challenging for the strongest of men. But, add to that the unique ways many of these inmates "act out" or "fail to adjust," and the experience can quickly become mentally overwhelming to those who are "locked down" 34-24 hours per day, 7 days a week, normally for a few months... some for years.
It is an environment that can take a unique toll on those specially trained officers who work in such a high-stress and often volatile environment... many of whom strive to to conduct themselves professionally and ethically under potentially life-threatening conditions on a daily basis. The constant state of stress they live under can never be fully appreciated unless you've walked in their shoes. It is these professionals who deserve our deepest respect and gratitude, for they keep us safe on a daily basis, while the rest of us go about our daily lives.
It is an environment that is unlike any other, in that you are dealing with inmates who are used to dealing with their frustrations and impulses in violent ways. Yet, these inmates are the ones who, in many cases, already acted out violently within the prison general population. So, now they are placed within an even more stressful environment in Solitary Confinement, which creates an atmosphere you can actually feel as you walk through those steel doors.
It is hard to adequately describe the intensity of such an environment, and the challenges presented by the dynamics of a "restricted" or "segregated" unit within prison environment. It was like nothing I would have imagined, both in terms of the "acting out" that happens within such a unit, and in terms of the psychological impact doing "serious time in the hole" can have on even the toughest of criminal minds.
And, that is where I began my journey deep into the criminal mind.
I knew it was a unique opportunity, the kind outside researchers could only imagine, so I dug deeply each day... as I knew I would be spending far more time in face-to-face contact per week with any of these men than most professional clinicians spend with any given client in an entire month on an outpatient setting. The same would hold true for those who work within a hospital setting. And, for those outside academic researchers, I would have more access to any of these men in a single day than they could ever hope to have in an entire pre-arranged structured interview.
Sophisticated Predators Are Best Studied
When They're Able to be Monitored...
where they're able to be Closely Observed.
I knew it was a unique opportunity, to do a deep dive into profoundly psychopathic criminals minds, to not just learn how they think, but also learn how men became that way. So, I used each day to strategically in my quest to understand the minds of such men.
So, what did I learn from spending the first half of my prison tenure in that environment... which would help me begin to understand the minds of Predators?
The first thing I learned in that environment is there are varying degrees of psychopathy clearly evident within a prison environment... which would help me understand how that is true with those who haven't yet been arrested. That became clear when I realized that not every inmate in prison spends time in Solitary Confinement, and even fewer spend more than 3 months... and far fewer spend a year of more. Why? Because of the implications it has on their chances for Parole... because of the implications it has on their overall prison "adjustment,"
and because of the effects such an experience can have on the inmate's mental state, as the unit is a unique world unto itself... a prison within a prison. ​
I learned that Solitary Confinement is a world that can only be accessed by special permission... a maximum security "environment" where every person must "sign-in", explain their reason for needing to be on the unit... where their every move is digitally recorded by the Security Office.
It is a world where outside researchers are rarely, if ever, permitted
(I am unfamiliar with even one taking place within that environment during my 11+ years with the prison), as inmates on "Disciplinary Custody Status" are deemed to be too much of a safety risk for an interview.
At best, if someone is granted an interview (which takes months of Administrative review and coordination for such permission to be granted), the interview will inevitably be limited to 1-3 hours, will be conducted under the watchful eye of Corrections Officers and security cameras, with little ability for the researcher to corroborate what the inmate tells them during the highly structured interview world.
It's a world where all who enter and exit must be "buzzed in," after being verified.
It's a world where florescent lights replace sunlight, where there are no clocks on the wall, where time is not measured in hours, but months... it's an environment which is "security driven"... where all movement is highly coordinated... where all personal activity is closely monitored, on a 24/7 basis.
Sophisticated Predators Are Best Studied
When They're Put Under Prolonged &
Unrelenting Pressure...
where they finally have No Control
As Predators are Masters of Manipulation and Master Tacticians, they thrive best when they are able to "call the shots", able to work people and situations to their advantage. They do that best when they can manipulate their environment, those around them, and create a situation where there are very few clear boundaries and structure with which to see just how much they are manipulating. Thus. in a highly controlled and structured environment, where they can be observed 24/7, they can begin to be spotted in their carefully crafted schemes, and their sophisticated attempts at manipulation.
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It is in the highly structured and security-driven environment that he starts to feel "the squeeze", which has the net effect of popping a pimple... it brings everything up to the surface that's been underground. And what emerges is what those who've been victimized by such predators learned long ago... that these are men who are the most sophisticated and calculating... who've spent years perfecting the ability to "pull one over on most people", as they know that most people will believe their lies, their antics, their feigned display of emotions, their manufactured facial expressions of sincerity.
And, it takes an environment where they have lost control... of their ability to manipulate, to hide what they're up to, and to conceal what they've done. It takes an environment like Solitary Confinement to create the right kind of conditions to finally start to unmasking the truth that lies just under the surface of the Sophisticated Predator.
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Solitary Confinement is an unforgiving world where "accidents can happen" to hand-cuffed inmates who refuse to "comply"... a world where security cameras sometimes have a way of "malfunctioning"... were the cameras on the units sometimes mysteriously fail to capture everything... where certain "accidents" can be reframed, explaining the injuries sustained as, "the inmate somehow slipped face-first."
It's a world where, when dealing with violent and impulsive men, genuinely dangerous incidents can happen to those untrained and unfamiliar with disturbed, impulsive, or aggressive psychopathic men... who will require varying degrees of "use of force" to bring back under control.
It's a world where all "out-of-cell" movement, such as a shower or yard time, are controlled and regulated... and happen only a couple times per week...
It's a world with very little human contact, other than brief "at the door" interactions when staff are required to stop by their doors during their mandatory rounds...
Sophisticated Predators Are Best Studied
When they're Finally Worn Down...
where they've been emotionally taxed beyond their ability to maintain control..
Solitary Confinement provides the right kind of environment where the Predator begins to realize they can't manipulate their way out of a tight spot. It's an intensive situation where they can't find relief. It's a world characterized by repetitive and unending loud noises from metal doors slamming like cargo-bay doors, tray slots being opened with thick metal keys... then slamming shut... a world where inmates will "gang war" with each other by "banging" and kicking their doors, at all hours of the day or night... all within the echo chamber of a bare, windowless, concrete-enclosed room.... a world filled by agitated, sleep-deprived "behaviorally problematic " inmates, who have prided themselves in not being able to be broken... who begin to experience themselves "becoming different"... who find their previously tough postures starting to crack...
It's a world where the isolation begins to slowly take a toll... even on the toughest of them.
It's a world where self-harm can happen at all hours... which often necessitates a noisy "cell extraction"...
And, it is in that world, if you are there long enough... if you earn their trust over time... that these kinds of hardened men will begin disclose their inner thoughts... their secretes which they've never disclosed to anyone... where they become willing to answer the questions you're most interested in. That is, if you are on the unit enough to where, when they are willing to talk... when they need to talk... you are there to listen
When originally hired, the DOC's Chief Psychiatrist shared his perspective with me in terms of the psychological conditions of the men I would have in my program. He described them as "the mad, the sad, and the bad" (meaning, those who were supposedly insane, acting out of clinical depression, and those who were "hard wired" toward criminality). But, it was in that world that I came to understand that a number of these men were better described as suffering from either mental illness, or the effects of experiencing profound child abuse and neglect (most of whom had grown up in the child welfare system, and were therefore in need of serious treatment by those who understood how to work with the effects of severe trauma [which would include the phenomenon of dissociation, and Dissociative Identity Disorder... which the PA DOC refused to acknowledge as a viable diagnosis for such men], and personality disorders, both for their own sakes, and for public safety, as most of them would eventually be released from prison).
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And, it was also in that world that I became all the more dedicated to trying to work with such men, as the vast majority of them would someday be released back into the community. For the public's safety and the hope that these men could somehow be salvaged, I dug deep, and worked hard every day to find out how their minds works, and what happened to cause such men to become so damaged, so reactive, so darkened, and so dangerous.
Inmate CB
While others simply begun to override their conscience early in life, simply nursing a sense of self-entitlement, which eventually grew into a profoundly narcissistic and egocentric"adult two year old."
Though many psychology staff have made regular mandatory rounds (momentarily stopping by the doors of the inmates assigned to them) onto Solitary Confinement Units, it was unheard of to ever have a psychology staff assigned to such a unit as his primary place of work. In fact, the specially trained officers... those who volunteer for such an intense post on such maximum security units must be psychologically evaluated on an annual basis and rotated out after a year or so due to its intensity. The opportunity afforded by my position was certainly a unique one in terms of such extensive and prolonged access to psychopaths... groundbreaking in fact. So, I took full advantage of it.
I knew my position was unique, in terms of affording unlimited time and unfettered access with the toughest of cases (in terms of men suffering from genuine mental health issues, those who were behavioral health cases, and those who were simply just profoundly sophisticated psychopaths), working with them "up close and personal" for months-on-end (a dream come true for a researcher), I never would have guessed just how strategic having a Solitary Confinement unit as my primary place of work would prove would prove to be, with respect to obtaining genuinely reliable information (i.e unguarded, unscripted, and unfiltered) on psychopaths.
Prior to working directly with such men, I would not have appreciated how the dynamics of such a unit can slowly chip away at some of the key features of the profoundly psychopathic:
an unusual ability to wear multiple masks (to keep the outside world from seeing into the hidden reality of the inner thoughts),
an unusual degree of emotional insulation (being so emotionally guarded so as to never show any signs of cracks or weaknesses,
an unusual degree of emotional indifference (being so emotionally indifferent to the pain of others that you aren't bothered by how others are treated; being so emotionally detached so as to be "bullet proof),
an unusual ability to control others around them and their environment.
But, being directly on that unit, hours per day, year-after-year, watching the impact of that enclosed environment, time, sleep deprivation from inmates sometimes "banging", screaming, yelling, or talking all night, extreme smells, the occasional cell extraction which would necessitate the use of military-grade tear gas right on the unit, inhospitable temperatures (during those times, I likened it to an out-of-control chimpanzee cage at the zoo), it had an effect upon even the hardest of psychopaths.
And, that is when they would show signs of "dropping their guard", of dropping their pretense, of starting to ask to speak with you in order to have some normal human interaction. And, that is where they watch you in action... to see if you are consistent in terms of your disposition and behavior... if you are just there to collect a paycheck, or one of the few willing to remain in such a surreal environment longer than they have to... in order to try to make a difference. The inmates know the difference, for they watch closely and intensely to see if you can be trusted... to see if you will pass the test. And, as they would tell me on many an occasion... after an especially taxing day... "Mr. Uhler, we can tell you are different. You actually care. You're alright." And, when you hear that, you know they'll eventually be willing to share their closely held secrets.
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​I knew it was a unique opportunity, the kind outside researchers would never have made available to them... in terms of enabling unique access to the minds of the profoundly psychopathic men in a way that could not be replicated outside of that environment in a structured and time limited interview setting... as it afforded a degree of intensity that served to break down the defenses even the hardest of criminals, to the point where they would eventually start disclosing things to me that even surprised them.
Being taken into the confidence of the world's most guarded criminals... guarded in terms of cell blocks, but also personally guarded in terms of them not allowing anyone to hear what they didn't want them to hear and know about them, their offenses, and their motivations... only happened because of the time I spent with them, in that environment. They saw I was willing to stay for hours on end... when all other staff would only stay as long as required. They knew I was different, and would repeatedly comment about that to me. And, of all criminal populations most likely to disclose the real reasons as to why they did what they did... be willing to disclose to the few who've earned their trust... are "the Lifers" locked away in Solitary (doing "long bids" as they call it).
And, that was how they became willing to disclose their long-held secrets... which is something that likely would never happen during a pre-arranged interview with an outside academic researcher.
So, I took full advantage of it, and made sure I was available for those rare times that such men would become willing to disclose what they had previously kept to themselves, as it related to their thought process when perpetrating their offense(s), the contributing factors that led them becoming twisted, and their own assessment of the various points along the way that they "got worse" in terms of overriding their conscience, their empathy, and their remorse.
It is hard to adequately describe the kind of field research I was able to conduct unless you can understand the unique opportunity that was afforded me, given that I spent so much time where so few have the opportunity to access... or would want to access for any length of time due to the intensity of such an environment. So, the following os provided to give you a glimpse into that seldom-seen world.
Though indeed challenging, I was able to take such a unit, filled with "the worst of the worst," and establish enough rapport with the men that they eventually began to settle down... at least most of the time. And, I was able to demonstrate that it is possible to create order out of such chaos, and do so to where men actually began to improve in terms of their propensity toward acting out violently.
Not only was I able to meet the expectations for my position, but exceed it... as I did the expectations of everyone around me, including the the Secretary of Corrections who personally conveyed his appreciation for my groundbreaking work.
Sophisticated Predators Are The Least Likely
"to Show You Their Hand"...
unless they've run out of cards.
It was in that world that I would dig deeply into the minds of men who were evidenced a profound degree of criminality. And, it was on that unit where I would have the opportunity to spend countless hours with "Lifers"... men who had no incentive to meaningfully disclose much more than they originally did during the process leading up to trial, while they still thought their might be a chance to "make a deal", to work things in their favor. But, once they it's "game over," that all their bargaining chips and appeal options had been exhausted... realized they were never getting out of prison... the vast majority simply chose not to talk to anyone about their case again. And, few, if any prison staff, found it important to talk to the inmate about it either. So, those who had access to such men simply miss the opportunity to gain valuable insights into what happened, into how these men got to the point that they did what they did. It quickly became apparent to me that the Lifers know the difference between staff who simply were there because they had to be vs. the rare kind of staff who was there because they actually wanted to make a difference... who were "the real deal".
It was the Lifers who were the ones who, if they gained trust in you, that would become willing to disclose the raw truth of not just what they did to land them in prison, but why they did what they did... and what led them to do what they did. It was that world which made those truths surface. I knew it was a unique opportunity, the kind outside researchers would never have made available to them... so I used it strategically. I dug deep, I listened intently, and heard the kinds of things researchers would long to hear.
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And, it was in that world where I spent countless hours "up close and personal" with men who had perpetrated all manner of sexual offenses... some against adult women, some against teens, and some against children. who were doing a relatively 5-10 years, others 10-20 years, and others "doing life." I asked penetrating questions, questions which the men said they had never previously been asked. I knew I had an opportunity to assess what I had been taught during graduate school, and what I had read in the literature. I had seen the interviews with the likes of Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer, The Hillside Strangler (Kenneth Bianchi), The Night Stalker (Richard Ramirez), Son of Sam (David Berkowitz), John Wayne Gacy, and the BTK killer (Dennis Rader), but now I would have a chance to personally spend time with such criminal minds... men who had killed multiple victims... one who had dismembered prostitutes.
Little did anyone anticipate, at the time I was recruited, how much progress I would make with the kinds of men sent to this specialized unit, in terms of measurable positive adjustments, decreased assaults, and their involvement in group and individual therapy. We went from inmates who were used to causing such problems within solitary confinement that it was common for them to "go to war" with an entire CERT Team (Corrections Emergency Response Team), to inmates who were willing to begin taking another less-aggressive approach to their anger management and problem-solving.
How was one to account for the significant changes witnessed in these previously "hard to manage" inmates... at least for the first 5 years while the program functioned as I had designed it, and operated under my care? Simply put, the progress was the result of my willingness... and the clinical staff I coordinated...to invest the time necessary to gain the respect of the men, which resulted in gaining a unique degree of understanding of the minds of psychopaths and sexual predators.
That understanding led to progress few within the prison system anticipated, in terms of their overall adjustment. And, it was that success which caused the prison administration to start sending me to attend specialized sex offender training (because of the program's noticeable success, my first training was arranged within 4 months of my working with the men on my unit).
Interestingly, it was during those specialized trainings... led by those who were Certified in working with Sex Offenders... that I realized how much of an in-depth understanding I had gained from all those intensive hours spent with the men on my unit ... as it is in that type of intensive environment that you must be good... that you will be tested by such men to see if you know your stuff... if you if you are to make any progress with such men. It was during those years of providing treatment, and doing what ended up being intensive embedded field research in that restricted-access environment, that I began charting out my findings and insights from doing a deep dive into the minds of such men.
And, it was during those years that I was gaining invaluable insights into the Sophisticated Sexual Predator's mind, methods, and motives, which would enable me to take full advantage of a rare opportunity... to not only assume responsibility of the sex offender treatment program of one of the State's 2 High Intensity Sex Offender Units treating both the State's Highest Risk Offenders & those deemed Sexually Violent Predators, but to also make that treatment program much robust and intensive than had previously existed.
During the years in which I had authority over the treatment in Solitary, it was an experience unlike any academic researcher could ever dream of being afforded. I would not just spend a few hours within them in a structured setting, asking scripted questions. I would spends hours per week, months-on-end, "up close and personal, doing 1:1 therapy and group therapy with them... proving myself to them, to where they would be willing to freely disclose what they hadn't previously revealed to investigators, forensic psychologists, or even academic researchers.
I knew it was a unique opportunity... so I used it strategically. I dug deep, and entered into the darkness of their minds, to find out what had possessed them I was compelled to dig deep, because it was these kinds of men who had hurt the many of my former clients. I had listened to the years of pain from the Survivors, so, on behalf of those clients, I needed to know... and needed the men to know the impact their actions had brought upon the Survivors, their families, and the community. I first had to "earn the right to be heard" before they were willing to disclose their inner world, to honestly and candidly share how they came to be somebody's worst nightmare. I invested the necessary time, and it paid off.
It was in that world that I discovered just how unique of an opportunity I was being afforded to study such men in ways that academic researchers could only dream of. It was the opportunity of a life time, to be able to do what amounted to full time embedded field research, with unlimited access to the most difficult-to-manage cases within a prison system. So, I took full advantage of the opportunity, and I dug deep.
The Most Sophisticated of Predators Are NOT necessarily the ones "behind bars."
There were many things that surprised me being within the closed world of a prison's Maximum Security unit. However, likely one of the most important insights I gained... which would help prepare me for doing a deep dive into the minds of the minds of the most sophisticated of Psychopaths (especially those who perpetrate against children)... was coming to understand that the majority of the most sophisticated of Predators are smart enough, strategic enough, and are manipulative enough to avoid being suspected, closely scrutinized or "busted."
It is this kind of Sophisticated Predator that can often be found in positions of authority... who look so good to the outside world, but who, under the surface... as you peel back their carefully crafted and manufactured PR image... have another side to them... who they truly are at their core... a sophisticated psychopath who derives a tremendous sense of satisfaction from being able to use and abuse those who they view as "beneath them."
And, these uniquely darkened hypocritical deceivers are the kind who secretly meet out their emotionally sadistic treatment behind closed doors on those who can't defend themselves because of their "lesser position"... all the while manipulating those around them into believing they are "good" and upright... yet, the least suspected by the outside world.
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"White Collar Psychopaths"... adults who have the unique ability to fool all those around them into believing they were "good", all the while possessing little-to-no conscience, empathy, and remorse... who were masters at impression management, masters of manipulation, masters of deception.
It is interesting how I didn't anticipate the possibility of working alongside any Sophisticated Predators dressed in "street clothes" or uniforms... the kind Robert Hare, Ph.D, of the PCL-R, called "White Collar Psychopaths"... adults who have the unique ability to fool all those around them into believing they were "good", all the while possessing little-to-no conscience, empathy, and remorse... who were masters at impression management, masters of manipulation, masters of deception. I guess I had assumed that only good people would want to work with inmates... especially those within positions tasked with helping the inmates to improve themselves.. to help them with changing their ways. However, I would discover the hard way that I was simply naive
As my work with the impulsive and bloody kind of psychopaths continued, we started to receive into the program a much more intelligent and adept kind of predator, the kind who used very different talents and skill sets to achieve their goals... the kind who were much more covert in the ways they carried out their strategic plans and tactics... who loved the thrill of "the game"... the kind in prison called "the shot callers."
These were the men who were not only dangerous, but also smart and calculating. They were able to make it appear that they were compliant, while behind the scenes were calculating and conniving, who were inevitably found to be "working the system" and others in their favor. These were the trickiest of all inmates, as they were adept at manipulating, at reading people, and telling people what they wanted to hear, in order to manipulate them. As such, I found myself becoming wise to the ways of these Sophisticated Predators... these Sophisticated Psychopaths... learning how they thought, what motivated them, and how they operated, in order to be able to come up with therapeutic interventions which would force their underlying issues to the surface, and unmask the extent of their psychopathy.
I found that I was beginning to understand that these profoundly adept psychopaths were that way long before they were ever arrested... and that is why most of them were able to avoid being busted for foe years... usually had no previous criminal history... and were only charged with a small fraction of what they actually had perpetrated over the years. Thus, what became apparent is that there are more Sophisticators Predators within society than those who have finally actually been convicted. And, those are the most dangerous, as they are able to perpetrate in ways that are not readily apparent, yet enable them to create many victims who are too fearful or emotionally manipulated to ever speak-up.
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The Most Sophisticated Predators derive the greatest sense of sadistic satisfaction by playing "The Game"... strategically generating pain in those they can control without anyone around catching on.
"... this uniquely emotionally abusive behavior... exhibited strategically "behind closed doors" away from the eyes of the unsuspecting public... unfolded in front of me, providing me with a unique opportunity to see how Sophisticated Psychopaths can get away with perpetrating the kinds of evil I heard about from victims of domestic violence... how such professional-grade abusers are able to ensure the victims under their control are forced to endure years worth of emotional , much of which has now become known as Gas Lighting."
The reports from the inmates started to increase in frequency, as did the amount of inmates starting to have "adjustment problems"... started to "act out." What was happening? In retrospect, the sophisticated psychopaths were becoming more emboldened the less concerns they had at being found out. They saw that, as the administration and Chief Psychologist were not willing to ask hard questions, and were in fact willing to give them the benefit of the doubt regardless of some important Red Flags regarding emotional abuse being perpetrated by the officers. As such, they became increasingly emboldened and energized in their efforts to sabotage the program, and emotionally toy with the inmates. Despite my attempts at intervening, I not only saw my years of hard won success being undermined, but I saw men who had progressed in the program starting to be involved in "incidents", where they ended up "needing to be restrained" by multiple officers using varying degrees of pain compliance and force.
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As a result of dealing with such sophisticated psychopaths, I also started to notice I was becoming adept at understanding the minds, methods, and motives of certain staff members, both in uniform and those in "street clothes." Though still hard to believe that relatively "normal" looking adults could actually be wolves in sheep's clothing, it started to help me understand, while working with sexual abuse victims, how so many of my former clients who had suffered at the hands of sophisticated predators for years, without anyone suspecting the perpetrator. The same held true for domestic abuse survivors... they would end up suffering in silence for years, often times decades, because they found that few if anyone would believe their abuser was capable of such harm, because he appeared so normal... like such a good person. And, it helped me understand why so many Sophisticated White Collar Psychopathic Predators love to involve themselves in churches, as it affords the perfect hunting ground, and the perfect place to find naive "believers" who can be easily manipulated into taking the Predator's side against "accusations."
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And, on the unit, away from the watchful eyes within prison general population, such predators-in-staff's-clothing would seem strangely driven either to enter into a contest of the wills with the inmates who were as equally psychopathic (they would be driven to provoke them, to antagonize them... to "poke the bear"),
Or, they would be driven to find the weakest inmates... kind of the runts of the litter... the inmates with the lowest IQs... in order to use them as a source of sadistic entertainment... to make them the brunt of their sick jokes. It was almost like watching otherwise normal men in Germany in the early 1930's transform... and reveal their true inner nature by the late 1930's
Administrative Staff: "Hey, inmate Tracey... you want to advance in the program? Well, then perform for us... yes, a song... we're in the mood for a song. Sing, 'I'm a little tea pot'... and don't forget the hand motions.
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Inmate Tracey (hand cuffed, standing in a cage): "I don't know it."
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Administrative Staff: What do you mean you've never heard of it? (because he was in over 50 foster homes after being removed due to being abused, resulting in him missing larges parts of elementary school. He also has an IQ of only 70) ,
Administrative Staff: "That's no excuse. OK, we'll teach it to you... then you sing it back to us with the hand motions. If you do a good job,... we might think about [letting you advance]."
After a number of years with the program running successfully, a change of administration brought an influx of many staff who transferred together into our institution... and were assigned to my unit. Much like a Predator gaining access into a step-family situation, the perpetrator will be on his best behavior at first, only to slowly reveal the dark reality of who he is once outsiders have come to believe he is "good."
which would create the right conditions to justify having the inmate restrained by multiple officers (usually ending up with the inmate being abruptly "helped" to the concrete floor... face first).
And, given the disparity in power and control, it was as if they derived a unique sense of satisfaction toying with these inmates. In fact, it became a sick kind of sport for these staff... passive-aggressively seeing how much they could incite the inmates, purposely looking to see which buttons they could push... to antagonize and taunt them... to incite them to the point that the inmates would escalate to the point of being "triggered"... then give them a disrespectful parting personal comment or smile smugly at them, in order to watch them "go off"...
As this dynamic began unfolding, I saw these certain staff morph into people who would use their position of authority to satisfy a twisted inner desire to use others "beneath them"as a source of entertainment, by creating conflict, just to watch things escalate, much like a bully in the sand box, looking for those weaker to make sport of and traumatize. Given that they were staff, they knew it was a "He said, she said" kind of Catch-22 for the inmate, where they were at a disadvantage in terms of being believed. Thus, even though they began disclosing what was going on after I left, I had no verifiable proof... but, I knew, based upon my knowledge of the various inmates, that what they were telling me was in fact happening. So, I began to ask the corrections officers about my concerns. But, true to form, they said that nothing was happening... it was just the inmates trying to manipulate me, and "staff split."
This is the kind of dynamic Predators create, exploit, and use best to their advantage. It is what they excel, and how they create a "no win" situation for their victims at they, as the abuse happens behind closed doors, yet the sophisticated psychopath masterfully "spins" to make it appear that the victim is either crazy or lying, should the victim ever try to disclose. The the conflict would always end in their favor, as staff have the upper-hand. This telltale characteristic behavior of the Sophisticated Psychopath, exhibited strategically "behind closed doors," allowed me see how this same type of Predator can get away with perpetrating domestic violence, and how they are able to ensure the victims under their roofs are held captive by such psychological schemes, much of which has now become known as Gas Lighting.
And, if the inmate "further resisted" their direct orders, additional measures were used to "de-escalate the situation," by "securing the inmate to prevent further harm", and "regain control of the inmate."
It was simply a source of entertainment for these Predatory staff... a kind of sadistic cat and mouse they could afford to play, as they were protected, and people on the outside would likely never find out what they were really like behind closed doors.
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It was simply a source of entertainment for these Predatory staff... a kind of sadistic cat and mouse they could afford to play, as they were protected, and people on the outside would likely never find out what they were really like behind closed doors.
The subsequent "investigation"... and how it would be portrayed... would be strategically drafted in such a way so as to create a false narrative that would sound believable, with enough cherry picked details to make the inevitable manufactured charges sound credible. Yet, little would anyone on the outside realize that the bogus charges were carefully crafted to sound legitimate... Welcome to how the Sophisticate Predator plays "the game."
Per policy, every incident requires a Report, detailing what happened. When it involved such psychopathic staff, it would inevitably be spun to invert reality, to make the victim look like the one who was in the wrong. And, in such incidents involving certain inmates who became the focus of the more psychopathic staff, it was not uncommon for a select group of staff to "have each others' back", by comparing notes, to ensure their reports harmonized or "jived." And, sometimes the "attested" details were are exactly as it actually happened... and, sometimes, the video footage wasn't captured, or the camera "malfunctioned." So, you can imagine how such Psychopaths wouldn't take kindly to someone from Psychology revealing what really happened during such instances.
Though the footage in the first video will provide an extreme example (more extreme than happened to the inmates on the SSNU), it is important to listen to how the extreme misconduct on the part of the perpetrating officer is reframed by the entire shift of officers, to craft a false narrative and paint a knowingly false picture, to cover for such abuse of a mental health inmate.
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The first video reveals how the true nature of such a Predator will manifest itself once "behind closed doors" if he thinks no one is watching (in this case, he forgot about the camera), how easily and skillfully a psychopathic officer can craft a lie (claims the inmate was combative, and that he "tripped into the wall"... and, how many times did I hear that?!) , how the assisting officer does nothing to intervene with such a clear display of brutality toward a non-combative inmate in hand cuffs, and how those who thought they new the Psychopath (they described him as helpful and kind) are surprised to discover the truth about the reality of the wolf behind the mask of feigned goodness.
The second video shows the kind of "treatment" that was dished out by some of the Sophisticated Predator officers toward some of the mental health inmates on my unit, with knowledge of such "restraints" by the Chief Psychologist and the prison Administration, yet without any attempts to discipline the officers involved.
Can you imagine if the video footage hadn't been "recovered"? In each case the perpetrating officers would have gotten away with such heinous actions... because white collar psychopaths know how to invert reality, to where the aggressor can be portrayed as the victim who need to defend himself, they know the "the power of the pen" in crafting a big lie that sounds plausible, they know how to "flip the script" to where they are the innocent party, and they know how such a knowingly false script can be floated to the public... who assume that professionals in positions of authority will do the right thing, and they trust what they see in the newspaper.
In terms of The subsequent "investigation"... and how it would be portrayed... it would be strategically drafted in such a way so as to create a false narrative that would sound believable, with enough cherry picked details to make the inevitable manufactured charges sound credible (as they know they have to manufacture something to justify their actions). Yet, little would anyone on the outside realize such bogus charges were carefully crafted to sound legitimate. The inmate would subsequently be penalized in his progress within the program (due to the inmate's "poor anger management"), be dropped back to the most restrictive of program Phases, have his privileges revoked, and would likely be restricted form attending many group sessions... until he could show "stability."
That was designed to set the stage for applying punitive measures, to where he would "act out", so a case could be made against him... a false narrative could be crafted... supported by additional bogus charges, to where he could be sabotaged, and eventually removed from the program, and sent back to regular long-term Solitary Confinement, with little hope of ever getting out. Welcome to how the Sophisticate Predator plays "the game."
The Most Sophisticated Predators are
the world's greatest actors... cunningly deceptive, highly skilled at pulling the wool over people's eyes
And, that is when I began to see how many of the sophisticated predators there were, seemingly "good" and law abiding... who, behind the scenes, were something far different when they were behind closed doors. It became clear that, with the sophisticated psychopath who has managed to avoid arrest, under their smooth public image lies a dark reality which emerges in private. That is how such Sophisticated Predators manage to keep their victims submissive, and quiet about the abuse... and highlights just how skillfully they lead secret double-lives. And, like many of those who wore orange jump suits within the program and within prison general population, by the time they were busted and held accountable, it turns out that they had managed to perpetrated for years without anyone outside their family... or within their church... ever suspecting them.
Clinical research has progressed in its understanding of the Psychopath's brain, revealing just how different in terms of structure and function, they are from normal people's brains. Brain imaging has revealed that the differences are real, permanent, and irreversible.
However, since there aren't any longitudinal studies, showing the changes over time, what the scans can't reveal is how the Psychopath's brain become so different. These same researchers have extrapolated and conjectured that it must have to do with both genetics, disrupted mother-child attachment and bonding, and/or early trauma, as many of the subjects studied via brain scans were from prisons, and the record of many bloody psychopaths reveal early abuse. However, is that an adequate explanation for the other category of psychopaths... the White Collar Psychopaths?
Some of the most well known researchers in the field of psychopathy, Dr. Robert Hare, and Dr. James Fallow have both spent considerable time looking at the brain images of psychopaths. Both researches have made a distinction between the impulsive bloody psychopath and the much more controlled and methodical Psychopath... the kind I refer to as the Sophisticated Psychopath. It is Robert Hare who coined the term "White Collar Psychopath", and he has highlighted just how normal such Predators can appear.
So is it that Psychopaths are a rare breed, and relatively few in number, or is it that there would be more than we are comfortable in imagining that there are many more than we want to believe? Is it that James Fallon is an anomaly, in that he happened to find out that he is a psychopath because he scanned his own brain, or would we find, if scans could be done on everyone, that many psychopaths exist all around us, but who have managed to keep themselves from going too far, or allowing themselves to be exposed? James Fallon calls them "Pro-social" or "Non-violent" Psychopaths. I simply call them "Sophisticated Psychopaths"... smart enough to manipulate others in ways that enables them to get what they want, yet without being unmasked, exposed, or busted.
The Most Sophisticated of Predators Are
masters at airbrushing over their harmful behavior
It is the kind of person who's family feels must "grin and bear it" for years, dealing the with deep emotional wounds from living with the Sophisticated Psychopath. And, that's why, when James Fallon's wife and adult children weren't surprised to find out about his brain scans. That is a stunning revelation... that his own family members weren't surprised. Can you only imagine what it was like to grow up under that roof?
Welcome to the highly skilled degree of minimization exhibited by the Sophisticated White Collar Psychopath. James Fallon's words are so classic for a man with a Psychopathic brain without a criminal history... otherwise known as a Sophisticated Psychopath. If we were to both unpack and unmask those brief sentences, reality would be clear:
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"I'm kind of an asshole"... so, how is someone "kind of" an asshole, as opposed to a full fledged asshole? Such a statement is the classic minimization of a Sophisticated Psychopath, where he "kind of" accepts responsibility, while actually accepting none of it. It's the method most frequently used by Bill Clinton during his famous "Non-apology apology." The The reality is we'd hear something more than just "kind of" from his family.
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"I do jerky things that piss people off"... which is code for he is intentionally hurtful as he doesn't care about the emotional impact he continues to have on those around him. How can you tell? He already revealed that he knows it hurts others, yet he does it anyway. That's the callous disregard of the psychopath toward those in a vulnerable position.
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"Sublimated aggression" ... say what? That took work to craft such words. And, that's the sophisticated degree of double-speak one can expect to hear from a Sophisticated Psychopath. That's simply psychobabble for "extremely passive-aggressive," which is another way of saying he is strategically tactical with dishing out his anger (rooted in a profound sense of self-entitlement), and will ensure he others pay for daring to have an opinion, a preference, or for trying to establish boundaries with him. He will ensure the other person is impacted in ways they can't quite pin on him. Ask adult children, who've grown up in highly toxic homes, and you will find they identify with the following list:
"I'd rather beat someone in an argument than beat them up."... Again, another example of sophisticated spin, as what he actually means is that his method of personally injuring someone is with his words. This is classic reframing of reality by a Sophisticated Psychopath, who also just said he was "kind of an asshole", and his "aggression is sublimated." What this means is that he does and says strategically destructive things, freely using his tongue to do damage to another person, which inevitable entails deeply cutting remarks, wounding someone's character through slander, and employing character assassination. This kind of Sophisticated Psychopath uses his tongue for a weapon... which he has sharpened to a fine point... and to a forked-tongue. Pretending to be a good person (which is why they love attending church), he feels a smug sense of satisfaction when he can slander someone character, adeptly manufacture lies, and slice and dice someone with their words. They will say destructive things, then act like it never happened, thus invalidating the victim's pain, emotional injury, and negating their intuition. That is how adept they are at creating a "crazy-making" dynamic for those they are emotionally using and abusing (Healthline has a good list of such behaviors) . Just as every sophisticated abuser understands, the use of emotional backhands, back-stabbing, verbal gut-punches, tongue lashings, and other ways of verbally 'twisting the knife" are legal ways of leaving a person to bleed out emotionally. That is why they will inevitably have a greater body count than the low-level impulsive psychopath or bloody psychopath. So, truth be told, James would rather beat-up and wound deeply someone in an argument, than beat them up physically... and risk going to prison.
And, as you read James Fallon's description of how his psychopathy manifests itself, notice how there no sense of shame, no brokenness, and no contrition over what he describes. It not only is simply an intellectual description, devoid of any empathy or contrition, but there's an air of satisfaction... almost as though he is proud of how sophisticated he has been in his ways. That is not an indication of someone who is sorry... as he makes clear. He does what he does for his own personal benefit and satisfaction. That is the character and mindset of the Sophisticated Psychopath.
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James Fallon has emphasized the fact that he has a psychopathic brain. The reason his story is so compelling is that he shows no evident overt signs of what most people think of when they hear the word psychopathy. He has no criminal history, has held down responsible jobs, is professionally accomplished, and had financially provided for his family. Thus, we're left to wonder how such an anomaly can occur... that such a psychopath could remain out of prison, and even be successful. However, it is that misunderstanding of the nature of psychopathy, and the kinds of psychopaths that create an inaccurate understanding of the kinds of psychopaths walking, living, and working among us. it is novel in the sense that few "normal" people have actually had scanned their brains scanned to assess for psychopathy. It is easy to understand why the word psychopath conjures images of crazed lunatics, as that is primarily what the movies have identified as the image of a psychopath.
Sophisticated Psychopaths Are Most Revealed
by their mindset and the way they act behind closed doors.
Though bloody impulsive Psychopaths certainly exist, and I had a number of them in my program which helped me do a deep dive into how their minds work. However, as they will inevitably be the focus of much police attention, their "body count" will be relatively low, compared to the other kind of of psychopath, the Sophisticated kind... who leaves a trail of victim in his/wake, yet those victims don't bleed physically, and their injuries are on the emotional and psychological level. As such, James Fallon's use of the term "psychopathic brain", as it causes people to think that a psychopath is the result of wither nature or nurture... keeping the reality of what is being described at arm's length, and in a detached manner, and in a way that minimizes personal responsibility and distracts from the all important issue of character... which is always a choice.
Though it is technically accurate to refer a psychopathic brain (given the unique differences), what the scans can't show is whether the person and his brain were once normal... then progressed into a state of psychopathy due to certain factors. Such a study would require that many people be given brain scans starting at births, be taken at certain times throughout their development, and be able to take into account a multiplicity of other factors (a longitudinal approach). Though possible, it's not likely to happen. So, the best a single scan of an adult can do is to confirm whether or not a person has the brain of a psychopath. The rest is conjecture, based upon the psychopath's own words, and possible corroboration of information (though that rarely happens). And, if the person is a sophisticated psychopath without any criminal history, are we likely going to get an accurate self-report from him considering that psychopaths are Masters of Impression Management and strategic manipulation?
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Given the extent to which I was able to spend in depth amounts of time with both bloody psychopaths and Sophisticated White Collar Psychopaths, I am firmly convinced there is a predictable downward path and degrees of psychopathy through which a person transitions as they descend toward the moral abyss. As such, I find it is much more useful to speak in terms of a Psychopathic Mindset, as that is where degrees of psychopathy and issues of character can be most readily assessed. Yet, interestingly, that is the one explanation most resisted and rejected by those who've spent the least amount of time behind bars with such Predators. Could it be that those most quick to react to the premise that psychopathy is progressive, the result of willfully overriding conscience, and manifesting itself in a person's character, disposition, and attitudes, because the implications hit a little too close to home, as both their mindsets and the behavior toward others speak volume?
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In another interview, James Fallon addressed his use of the term "pro-social psychopath" to describe himself. It is important to see his psychopathic mindset in play, as he does a masterful job reframing his selfishness and unethical behavior as an asset, trying to manufactured a non-reality that there are two different types of empathy (intellectual vs. emotional), airbrushing over the extent to which his behavior has been hurtful, how he seeks to exonerate himself by ensuring the issue of character is not raised, how he mistakenly assumes that psychopaths generally suffer from low self-esteem, and how he attempts to make the case that having a loving family acts as a protective factor against psychopathy (which is simply not supported by any research into the lives of "successful" white collar psychopaths). I will add brief comments in red, to help with clarity... as you will notice that a psychopathic mindset will inevitable minimize the reality of the impact they have on others:
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"So, I’m like a grand bull-shitter (meaning he can lie or "embellish" with ease when it serves him, which makes for adept PR spin and self-promotion) and I’m on always on the make—not sexually, necessarily (so he adds the qualifier ? Such a statement certainly leaves one to wonder why he wouldn't place a period after "not sexually.")—but I’m always wanting to build a world that people want to come into, even if it’s for 5 minutes (kind of like what happens when you step onto a used car lot... or a "visitor" stops by a Venus Fly Trap, or the Hotel California).
Before I saw those traits as just being charm (notice how he spins this... as though he doesn't know the difference between manipulation and charm? No, such a bright, educated man knows the difference. He knew it wasn't "charm." It was his ability to "BS " as he put it, and his ability to "work the crowd." Truth be told, he has always prided himself in his PR skills). But when you turn it about 30 degrees, you realize, no, this isn’t charm; this is manipulating people (an honest statement, couched in a way that makes him sound like he just clued in... that his psychopathic brain kept his from seeing the reality of what he was doing. He's always known it, and used it strategically to his advantage). I also had 15 or so warrior genes—almost all of the ones associated with aggression—and I am very aggressive and perniciously competitive (notice how he describes himself... which will always be downplayed in terms of the degree of harm and offense. "pernicious" is a way of saying underhanded. And, notice how he tries to uses "aggressive" instead of "assertive." It depends upon how you label that gene), to the point where no one would play games with me (he's being accurate. The real question is, 'What do you have to be like to get to the point to where no one, including his own kids, wants to play a game with him?' That takes work to be that much of a consistently despicable ass when playing a game... which should be a fun experience for everyone when it is experienced with kids.. a time of parent-child bonding. That is simply another way of saying neither his wife nor kids could stand playing a game with him. That's the result of a psychopathic mindset... an extreme degree of selfishness, which repelled his own wife and kids. And, that is why they said they weren't surprised to hear him tell them about discovering he has a psychopathic brain. The only one that seemed to be surprised was James... and those who didn't know what he was like behind closed doors.). In terms of empathy, I have all of those associated with cognitive empathy (there is no such thing. Empathy is the ability to sense and feel another's feeling. "Intellectual empathy" is a contrived attempt to airbrush over his emotional indifference, his self-absorption, his lack of genuine care and concern for the emotions of his wife, his kids , and others, the fact that he knew about others feels, but didn't care enough to amend his own behavior, attitudes, or disposition, or the negative impact he was having on those around him). You can see this reflected in the PET scans and EEG’s—very high activity in the part of my brain having to do with planning, executive functioning, spacial relationships, perception, and language. In the areas for emotional empathy, activity is quite low and poor (again, meaning, he really wasn't interested or concerned. Simply put, without empathy, you have no genuine relationships. In marriage counseling, we call those kinds, "selfish pigs" and "emotional blackholes").
JS: So how do you explain that you have this similar brain and gene pattern, but that you’re not anti-social?
JF: In a way, I’m trying to backfill the information in and create a story that makes sense (meaning, he's trying to figure out why he "didn't go wrong", meaning arrested. But, again, very few sophisticated white collar psychopaths end up behind bars). I started to realize the effect my family—my mother, father, grandparents, everybody—had on me. They really took care of me, more than others in the family. I was treated well. I was raised as kind of a golden child. After a couple of years of mulling this over, I eventually realized that I was really quite wrong about the role of nature and nurture on genes and how the environment and genes interact. The timing of that is very important, especially during the first years of life.
It had nothing to do with my character at all (Seriously? So, giving yourself permission to become an increasingly myopic self-entitled emotional blackhole... AKA being a "a selfish pig... has nothing to do with character? That's what the Scribes and Pharisees would say. No, it has everything to do with a lack of character). I really don’t denigrate myself (low self-esteem has nothing to do with psychopathy, as psychopaths generally have high self-esteem)—I like myself, probably too much (otherwise known as... an exaggerated sense of self... which is a key root of psychopathy)—but if I really honestly look at it, it was just luck. I was born, I was really cute, and, when I was in high school, I was an athlete, I had a good body, I was smart, I was the best dancer, all of this stuff. And having that, it carried through. I was able to use all of those things and apply them easily—I didn’t work that hard, really—and so life has been easy for me (but, his wife and kids would likely describe their lives with him a bit differently). So I don’t know what would have happened if I didn’t have that." As James Fallon mentions, his life has gone pretty smoothly, meaning he has been able to work things to his advantage, which is not uncommon, as the Sophisticated Psychopath is usually enabled by others to act in ways that benefit himself. Unlike the lesser-sophisticated and more impulsive psychopath (many of which would be given the diagnosis of ASPD (Antisocial Personality Disorder) who characteristically are looking for a fight, quick to react to perceived slights, are seemingly driven to defy boundaries and fight with authority figures, and resist any societal norms or constraints,
Sophisticated Psychopaths are able ability to work well within structure, and comply with organizational policies and procedures, as he works those to his strategic advantage, primarily be using others of lesser rank to benefit himself, as he shamelessly promotes himself, benefiting from and taking credit for the hard work of others... (whether at work or at home). However, should any of those he is using and abusing elect to speak up, to set limit on his abuse and manipulation, to begin to expose or unmask him, or to defy him (to stand up to him or give push-back, rather than compromise one's ethics or morals), should he sense his opportunity for advancement and progress toward his goals be hindered or jeopardized by those he considers "beneth him," or the Sophisticated Psychopath will reveal a very different side to him, but will do so "behind closed doors."
Is there a relatively reliable non-technical method of assessing the extent to which someone is likely a psychopath? Yes. Ask their family members, their coworkers, and their employees. If you hear a personality characteristics that would fit certain characters in certain kinds of movies, then you know you're likely dealing with one.
The Most Sophisticated of Predators Are
masters at crafting a polished public image, which enables them to fool the vast majority of people.
I had begun doing a deep dive into the minds of the less overtly violent Predator... the kind who created multiple victims, yet were smart enough to do so in such a way that would ensure his victims, who he emotionally and psychologically harm, were silenced... so as to minimize the likelihood of him ever being publicly unmasked as a deceptive and fraudulent snake... an adept hypocritical liar... a wolf in sheep's clothing, and decrease the chances that he would ever be held accountable for his sadistic and unethical behavior. Yet, how ironic that I would begin to see adept "Snakes in Suits" shed their pretense right in front of me, as I began to see emerge the dynamic discovered by Dr. Philip Zambardo, which he would describe in his best selling book, The Lucifer Effect.
His work was made famous (or infamous) as he conducted a classroom experiment among his undergraduate students, which proved to be so shocking and disturbing that the exercise had to be cut short. This famous social science experiment, conducted back in 1971, known as The Stanford Prison Experiment, was designed to see if the moral goodness in well-adjusted students (at Standford University) triumph over a bad place, like in a prison setting. A mock prison situation was created within the buildings basement, with volunteer students slated to spend 2 weeks in a simulated prison experience, with fellow classmates serving as guards. What happened? The experiment had to be cut short after only 6 days:
The guards became abusive, and the prisoners began to show signs of extreme stress and anxiety.
While the prisoners and guards were allowed to interact in any way they wanted, the interactions were hostile or even dehumanizing. The guards began to behave in ways that were aggressive and abusive toward the prisoners while the prisoners became passive and depressed. Five of the prisoners began to experience severe negative emotions, including crying and acute anxiety and had to be released from the study early.
Even the researchers themselves began to lose sight of the reality of the situation. Zimbardo, who acted as the prison warden, overlooked the abusive behavior of the jail guards until graduate student Christina Maslach voiced objections to the conditions in the simulated prison and the morality of continuing the experiment.
"Only a few people were able to resist the situational temptations to yield to power and dominance while maintaining some semblance of morality and decency; obviously, I was not among that noble class," Zimbardo later wrote in his book The Lucifer Effect.
https://www.verywellmind.com/the-stanford-prison-experiment-2794995
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Yet, I would come to a different conclusion than Dr. Zimbardo, as he attempted to find the least disturbing way of understanding seemingly normal adults becoming sadistic, by suggesting that there was a group dynamic in play which caused "good people" to turn evil. He no doubt had to conclude that there was a dynamic within the group, as opposed to the reality of what was already in someone's heart being revealed... as he himself forgot all ethics, allowed evil to be perpetrated by his own students, and had to be reminded of what was right by a graduate student of his, Christina Maslach. Yet, it was more than just the dynamics that disturbed his graduate student. It was that the man she thought she knew, a man she had grown to respect, would in reality reveal a very different side to him... a very darkened side... a predatory side.
Should we be surprised when, an otherwise normal looking person... a bright and accomplished person... a person who seemed so "good" and "decent"... who clearly perpetrates evil, will attempt to justify and explain away their wickedness by asserting,
"That's wasn't like me... I'm normally NOT like that... I'm actually a good person, who just made a mistake... I must have gotten carried away by the situation and the stress... something must have came over me... it must be that the Devil made me do it."
Really? Little does he know that was the kind of thing I heard most often from the inmates over 11+ years of working within prisons is that kind of justification and rationalization?
Though Dr. Zimbardo's findings were quite compelling, and though he went on to write and lecture extensively about 'The Lucifer Effect' being on full display in the instances of torture at Abu Ghraib prison, and though he went on to conclude that it was the military brass who was to blame for facilitating an ideology, which impacted the military culture, which then changed "good" soldiers into bad ones... into those who became like Nazi soldiers, I would say, as a clinician who worked within a real prison for 11+ yrs, he missed the key reason why "good people turn evil." The reason why he missed it? Ultimately, from the interviews I have watched of him trying to adequately describe what happened during his famous "experiment", I would suggest that he hasn't wanted to truthfully look at and accept responsibility for his role in conducting a horribly unethical experiment which caused serious harm to his own students, for permitting illegal behavior to occur under his watchful gaze (students physically assaulted other students) and for permitting evil to befall on students he was ethically and professionally obligated to protect.
Along with understanding how white collar psychopaths will reveal themselves given the right conditions (in the case of the experiment, it became clear within four days), what his experiment also revealed is how adept white collar manipulators, who can appear so professional, are able to whitewash over what is clearly unethical and abusive behavior... despite clear and convincing proof of their culpability. Why has he carefully avoided clearly calling his own behavior what it was... horribly unethical and abusive. Why did he avoid accepting full responsibility... which would have brought with it an equal degree of consequences? Why are there no interviews which show him broken and contrite over what he permitted to take place as a professional psychologist, a researcher, and someone in charge of the welfare of his students? How has he managed to reframe the "experiment", in order to save his career? Because he has mastered the art of manipulation. How much more adept then is a sophisticated Predator who refuses to stop the harm toward those he deems to be "beneath him"?
He carefully avoided accurately labeling his actions during his now famous "controlled experiment." Are we still seriously going to call that "controlled", as it clearly spiraled out of control... which he permitted? Why? Because he was a professor at an elite University? Because he was able to spin things to appear that he took decisive steps to stop the abuse, yet only did so at the demands of a graduate student? How did that debacle happen? Because the man in charge, who had the authority to step in to stop the abuse of his students, who watched things deteriorate for days, who was able to discern normal vs. abnormal behavior, healthy vs. unhealthy behavior, legal vs. illegal behavior, ethical vs. unethical treatment simply didn't care enough to stop when it became evident and manifest, and clearly "got into it" to the point where he not only permitted it, but resisted someone who pointed out that such conduct was both unethical and abusive. In fact, in the face of such clear willful indifference, such sanctioning of abuse, such professional negligence, and such a display of not only callous indifference but an actual vicarious sense of satisfaction at seeing what was unfolding in front of him, his own subordinate, Christina Maslach remembered being dumbfounded at what she was seeing... and how the man she thought she knew revealed a completely different side of himself, to where she didn't even recognize him. Should we be surprised when, an otherwise normal looking person... a bright and accomplished person... a person who seemed so "good" and "decent"... who clearly perpetrates evil, will attempt to justify and explain away their wickedness by claiming, "That's wasn't like me... I'm normally NOT like that... I'm actually a good person, who just made a mistake... I must have gotten carried away by the situation and the stress... something must have came over me... it must be that the Devil made me do it." Really? Little does he know that was the kind of thing I heard most often from the inmates over 11+ years of working within prisons is that kind of justification and rationalization?
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Zimbardo has said, "The line between good and evil lies in the center of every human heart." He's added that he believes any person is capable of doing evil depending on situational forces. Though I would agree with the first conclusion is correct, I would suggest that his second is sorely lacking, in that it doesn't adequately account for what was so clearly revealed in his own experiment, in terms we he exhibited and what he witnessed in his students. It was NOT the situation that caused his students to abuse their fellow students, any more than it was the situation which caused him to permit the abuse. The students who became sadistic and abusive were not under any real pressure, were volunteers, were not in wartime, were not pressured by a superior, had nothing to lose by doing the right thing, and at any point could have decided to opt out of such a failed "experiment". However, they did not, and neither did Dr. Zimbardo. He allowed the abuse to unfold, and resisted initial attempts to remind him of his professional and ethical responsibilities. So, why did they continue with the experiment? Why did he permit the abuse to escalate beyond anything thinkable in terms of academic or professional ethics. Why did he permit the criminal assault of some of his students? And, equally as important, why was he not fired from Standford for conducting such an unethical experiment, where criminal behavior was permitted, and not reported? Why was he not stripped of professional license for facilitating such atrociously unethical and harmful behavior? Why was he not sued by the students? And, how much longer would he have permitted the abuse to occur if he was not intensely and heatedly rebuked by his own graduate student?
Truth be told, the reason he did not stop the experiment was... he enjoyed watching it play out. No amount of justification, rationalization, or spin will change what is all too self-evident. As things degenerated, he wanted to "see what would happen." As if a Ph.D professor, who teaches psychology, couldn't properly observe what was unfolding, properly assess the escalation of violence and abusive behavior, and could extrapolate that things were only going to get worse if it had degenerating so quickly? No, this simply became the equivalent of a cage match, a blood sport... like what unfolded 2000 years ago at the Roman Colosseum. No, it was not the "situation forces" that permitted such abuse, but unchecked Ego which was simply empowered and given permission to emerge.
What happened in that "experiment"? Was it the effects of Lucifer on good people, causing them to become bad? No. It is simply the same dynamic in play that permitted men to become inmates in real life, and that which leads guards in prisons to abuse inmates they deem to be vulnerable or unable to fight back. Is it the Devil that makes them do that? No. It's simply a lack of conscience, a lack of empathy, and a lack of remorse, all of which stems from a diminished conscience, that had been airbrushed over by those who participate in such abuse, and those who permit it to continue.
Time and agin, as I conducted a wide variety of treatment groups for inmates in general population and those within long-term solitary confinement, I found that the vast majority of inmates attempted to explain away the dark reality of their harmful behaviors by suggesting that their crimes were not truly reflective of who they really were deep down inside. But that kind of classic cognitive distortion and grand justification would be confronted with the reality that not everyone choses to do bad things when put under pressure... when able to do so. Simply put, situations and circumstances don't change you, being promoted to a position of power and authority doesn't change you, social situations don't change you, marriage doesn't change you, temptation doesn't change you, pressure doesn't change you... Lucifer doesn't even change you... they simply reveal what is on the inside of you. External situations and circumstances simply reveal your character... reveal who you truly are deep down inside... regardless of how well the lack of integrity, the hypocrisy, the degrees of psychopathy that has been secretly concealed it had been up until that point in time.
Though familiar with The Standford Experiment from my psychology courses, I guess I never would have imagined that I would witness adults in real prisons would reveal the same dynamic. I guess I assumed that professionals... who appeared to be "good" and "decent", adults with no criminal histories, adults who presented as responsible, who held good paying positions... many of whom had families... some of whom were active in their churches... adults who were tasked with helping inmates improve their stability and impulsivity for the sake of prison adjustment and future public safety, adults who were entrust with not just the custody and control of inmates, but also their care... that such adults would be "good." I guess I never would have imagined that I too would end up eventually watching unfold the same kind of dynamic that Christina Maslach witnessed... and would be forced to intervene to put a halt to progressive abuse.
The reality that unfolded in that experiment is something that sadly unfolded before my eyes, yet it wasn't during an experiment, but within the secrecy of Solitary Confinement, and it happened by those within my place of work, and involved expanding numbers of employees, administrators, and overseen and permitted by my own Supervisor, prison chief psychologist, James D. Harrington, MS., who was ultimately tasked with ensuring the care of the inmates within the institution. Though it is tempting to suggest that the dynamics changed the people involved, the reality is, just as with the students back in 1971, it really wasn't the experiment that changed seemingly upstanding individuals into sadistic ones. What happened The Stanford Experiment is ultimately that those who were secretly on the continuum of psychopathy, were revealed for who they really were... much to the surprise of those who thought they knew them. That which emerged in those sadistic students was simply the condition of their hearts, which they had managed to airbrush to look refined and "civil." This is the same dynamic that every battered and emotionally abused wife knows all too well. This is what every young victim of abuse understands all too well. And, this is what so few people on the "outside" understand, which is how such sophisticated white collar psychopaths are able to hide in plain sight, and why such Predators are rarely closely scrutinized, are rarely brought to justice,
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Little would I have guessed that, despite the hard work I had invested in developing a ground-breaking treatment program that was helping men few ever thought could be helped, I would be forced to witness The Lucifer Effect emerge right in front of my eyes in... after 6 years of seeing men helped given the right conditions, I would see that dynamic unfold in front of my eyes... and, I would find myself in the same position...only more so... as Dr. Zimbardo's student, Christina Maslach, who finally had to voice her concerns over what she saw unfold before her very eyes.
For approximately the first 4 years, the program set records and established "best practices", establishing itself as the model of treatment within long-term Solitary Confinement was setting records in terms of key metrics (decreases in assaults, injuries, cell extractions, property destruction, "Special Incident Reports", Misconducts, inmate grievances, and officer overtime, and increases in inmates able to attend group therapy "unsecured", problem-free out-of-cell activities, extracurricular activities such as music therapy, ping pong tournaments, bingo, unit movies) However, due to a change of prison administration and leadership, and a large number of excellent seasoned staff retiring... the prison and the program experienced a dramatic influx of officers and administrators which dramatically changed the prison culture. As is sadly the case when some trusting mothers get remarried to a man she assumes is a "good man", once he arrives she and the children within the home see somebody very different emerge... a sophisticated psychopathic predator slowly reveals his inner reality to them, as he begins to strategically "gas light" them behind closed doors. To the unsuspecting outside world... especially to those at church... this man appears to be a truly "good man". Yet, little would outsiders realize that he is the polar opposite... a sadistic predator who is a Master of Manipulation, empowered to ensure those underneath him either "play ball." or are labeled as "problematic."
Sadly, truly good and decent staff were replaced by those who were wolves in sheep's clothing... those with secret sadistic bents... like those students who revealed themselves in The Standford Experiment. And, just as with that experiment, a psychologist who was in a position to be able to monitor the behaviors of those officers, simply elected to watch things play out... to watch real prison guards begin to act abusively toward real inmates... the inmates assigned to my program. Much as like Dr. Maslach described, the abuse starts off slowly, then picks up speed. But, in the case of the real prison program, the abuse progressed over the span of months. Dr. Maslach subsequently described her surprise and her feelings toward Dr. Zimbardo permitting such sadistic and abusive behavior to emerge and escalate, and her decision to finally intervene. Her description is a good synopses of the dynamics that unfolded within the SSNU, it's deterioration, and the moral dilemma she was forced to confront. Only, in my case, it was real, and carried real world implications for me and my two colleagues, serving with me on the unit, elected to join with me to stop the abuse from progressing.
What kinds of things did I start to learn of from the inmates I had worked so hard to help them become willing to do things differently, supposing that there would be professionals treating them properly? What kinds of things did the inmates start to bring to my attention after I would arrive back to work? What kinds of things were happening behind the closed doors of the unit I had worked so hard to turn into a treatment program? What kinds of sadistic dispositions emerged that I found myself repeatedly trying to stop through the "proper channels"?
The following posts (from my Facebook page) will give you a sense of how "things happen" on such units, then can be covered up if a culture of corruption has been enabled, if there are no staff willing to step up and do the hard thing. The stories and videos feature behaviors similar to the kinds of things that eventually started within a once excellent program once The Lucifer Effect was permitted and enabled by the prison administration and chief psychologist. And, you will understand why I, and my two colleagues, finally elected to "blow the whistle"... to put an end to such abuse. Though, it cost us dearly, in terms of the retaliation we would each subsequently experience, the 3 of us have no regrets. And, we have had the ability to see justice served for the retaliation that was launched against us.
In an article published in the UK's The Guardian, James Fallon described how he decided to make some changes in how he treated his wife and loved ones. He indicated he decided to treat them with more "care", however, his own description reveals that it was not genuine care that motivated him to make the pro-social changes:
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"For myself, I decided to try to treat my wife and other loved ones with more care. Each time I’m about to interact with them, I pause for a moment and asked “what would a good person do here?” and notice that my instinct is to always do the most selfish thing at that moment. My wife started noticing this and after two months said “what has come over you?”. When I told her that I was trying to use my own narcissism to show that I could, against all odds, overcome my psychopathy, she said she appreciated the effort even though I was not sincere. I still don’t understand how she can accept that insincerity. Perhaps people just want to be treated with respect and kindness. I find that astonishing."
Actually, truth be told, he's not astonished. He "gets it." He is a bright guy. What he simply doesn't want to publicly acknowledge is that his wife is actually saying that any relief from what it used to be like is better than nothing. That is hardly the definition of an improved relationship, and simply highlights that, even when "being nice", a psychopath is not doing it for the right reasons... out of the kindness of his heart and because he cares. He's doing it for his own purposes.... using his own narcissism to obtain something he wants, not because he is sincere. However, if push comes to shove, as his wife and kids likely have found out, he will push to ensure he gets what he wants.
So, should we be surprised that James Fallon's brain imaging should proof of his psychopathic brain? Is the amazing thing about Fallon's own personal discovery that he hasn't committed a crime yet? No. Is it that he is able to talk about what it's like to have the brain of a psychopath? No. The amazing thing is that he likely found out just how many "successful" people likely have such brains... thus, are highly sophisticated psychopaths who have been able to keep from being unmasked or getting busted. The fact that his family wasn't surprised, and neither were those who knew him, should highlight just how many people, if scanned, would likely reveal psychopathic brains. Truth be told, if we could do such scans on many "normal" people, we would likely be surprised how many would have similar results... and, just how many family members would not be surprised.
So, with such officers... supposedly well-trained and professional... each of whom would appear so normal and upstanding to those who had never seen the dark side to these officers... are we to conclude that they suddenly changed because of the group dynamics and "social pressure" within the tightly-knit group of officers?. No, the inconvenient truth is that the evil that emerged would never have emerged if it had not been existing already under the surface. It was not the situation that changed them, but the opportunity which exposed who they truly were when they thought no one was actually looking... or that they would be called to give an account for such abusive behavior. That is the uncomfortable truth of psychopathy, as we would rather say it had to do with circumstances, as opposed to opportunity. And, it would be that truth that would help me gain valuable insights the deeper I dove into the minds of Sophisticated Sexual Predators... especially when I later had the opportunity to transition from the treatment within Solitary Confinement, to overseeing the treatment on one the the DOC's High Intensity Sex Offender Treatment Units. And, that is one of the dirty little secrets that Sophisticated Predators don't want people figuring out, as they benefit from misplaced sympathies.
​
What was it that was happening within the unit that I and my colleagues worked on, which had achieved such high marks, and had been able to help so many men change their behaviors within Solitary Confinement... that caused us to stand up... to put it all on the line... against some very powerful people with a prison and a state prison system? Mental health inmates who were being abused by a select group of officers... initially strategically timed to occur when I and my colleagues had left for home abuse sanctioned by those with the power to stop the abuse. We would hear about it from the officers, yet had only their word of mouth as proof. However, like with the dynamics that unfolded within The Stanford Experiment, psychopaths will become increasingly emboldened the longer they are permitted to go unchecked, as their secret disposition increasingly manifests itself just like what played out in the Stanford Experiment... but, only this was no experiment, and the cost of standing up and speaking out against such abuse was personally and professionally significant.
Despite or best efforts to address the issues with our immediate supervisor, and with the administration, the abuse continued, and continued to escalate once the predatory officers realized that we had no administrative support. In fact, we were informed that we were to simply sit by, keep our mouths shut, and not interfere... as a culture was established that facilitated an ever-growing sadistic kind of "treatment."
Inmate CB
Inmate CB
So, predictably, when darkened people, evidencing more than the Lucifer Effect, but the the Jekyll & Hyde Effect, things will go from bad to worse for those who dare to challenge them... as will incarcerated men with significant personality disordered issues, and severely damaged emotions. Once such darkened staff had effective rendered any voice of conscience silent, the chess moves are fairly predictable, as it is not about treatment, but about winning. So, the "problem inmates" mysteriously had their mental health diagnosis changed, to facilitate placement in regular solitary confinement, to ensure no treatment would be afforded, then transferred to another institution. Those staff would ensure they had the last word, last say, and last laugh. That is how the Snakes in Suits play "the game." And, that is the heart of the Jekyll & Hyde Effect.
Inmate CB
Predictably, as a large, closed systems become morally dark, those "bad actors" within it don't take kindly to having the light of truth brought to bear. As a result of their actions, the 3 of us were systematically targeted for removal. The first of the 3 of us had allegation fabricated against her, and was gone within weeks (she elected to retire, as opposed to have them slander her name and reputation). Next, allegations of "Christian proselytizing" were made against me by none other than the man being investigated, Chief Psychologist, James D. Harrington. Hmmm... suddenly, 8 years into a stellar employment career... poof... allegations are suddenly made against me? And, without ever so much as even one complaint raised or grievance filed by a single inmate over the course of 11+ years? Seriously? Who would have imagined? But, after a formal PA DOC investigation, those spurious charges were unsuccessful... much to the consternation of James Harrington and others.
However, as is so true about those who don't take kindly to having their dark deeds unmasked, our supervisor, Chief Psychologist, James D. Harrington, MA, displayed an unusual degree of persistence (a telltale red flag characteristic of a psychopath) toward ensuring that I and my other remaining colleague the remaining two whistle blowers would meet the same professional fate. Though it took James Harrington 2 additional years of dogged determination, he and others who had been named in the US DOJ Findings once again lodge allegations against me... but this time with gusto. They would actually go so far as to charge me with a bogus crime. And, they were especially pleased with themselves this time around, as they managed to get some inmates to "work with them", and then contacted the local small town newspaper to feature the alleged "charges"... all to add to the smear campaign.
No doubt, they felt as though it was "mission accomplished". However, what they didn't count on was the judge who would review the manufactured charges... a judge quickly saw through their act of retaliation... saw through such a blatantly corrupt strategy employed by the PA DOC to slander my good name and reputation. What did the judge do as a result? He looked at me in court with an understanding glance... noted how "unusual" it was for such "charges" to be leveled against such a professional as me... who had received such stellar Annual Performance Reviews and had received years' worth of positive feedback from the DOC's Central Office... and, how unusual it was for prison officials to suddenly rely upon inmates with lengthy criminal histories as their "credible sources." The Judge was wise to how "The Game" is played, and he would prevent them from having their way.
So, what was the outcome from such a calculating malicious and slanderous retaliatory tactic?
-
A complete dismissal of all charges (from beginning to end, the entire fraudulent charade was over in 5 months).
-
I was vindicated.
-
Their retaliatory plan was thwarted (leaving them dismayed and licking their wounds).
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My record and reputation were once again restored (to what they always have been... without a blemish).
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Justice was subsequently served (I was asked by the PA State Department to serve as a key witness against James D. Harrington, which resulted in the judge finding me a credible witness... and him guilty for everything I claimed he had perpetrated against mental health inmates... resulting in the permanent revocation of his professional license [see below]).
-
I still hold active professional counseling licenses in 2 states (which is simply impossible for someone who has any sort of criminal history).
​
It was in Oct., 2018, two years after my retirement... that another state agency acted... but this time, it would be PA Dept. of State bringing formal charges against licensed psychologist (Institutional/Regional Psychologist for the PA DOC), James D. Harrington, listing multiple counts of unprofessional conduct, relating to his role in permitting the abuse and suicide of numerous mental health inmates under his watch. Unlike the bogus charges James Harrington et al. had managed to get lodged against me and my colleagues, these were real charges, based in reality, much of which stemmed from the findings of the US Dept. of Justice's exhaustive investigation.
The three of us who blew the whistle against the outrageous abuse being permitted and facilitated by the Chief Psychologist, James Harrington, who has been on the receiving end of such extensive and persistent retaliation... were asked by the the PA Dept. of State, to serve in Oct 2018 as the key witnesses against him for that which we had brought to light.
​
And the outcome? Complete vindication! And, yes, predictably his attorney tried suggest that the "charges" brought against me by James Harrington and the PA DOC were something that were based in reality. And, the judge's determination of those bogus charges (which would be the second judicial review), and of my character?
On 12-2-19, the PA Board of Psychology issued a scathing rebuke to the man behind the persistent efforts to retaliate against me... a key figure behind the strategic effort to craft bogus charges against me (and then have them put into the local news paper)... all out of retaliation for blowing the whistle on him... for shinning the light of truth on what he was doing behind closed doors... for unmasking him as a predator... finding him guilty on ALL 17 charges... 17 real charges, stemming from real perpetration as originally noted by the US DOJ... and permanently revoking his professional psychology license.
Though a long time in coming, such vindication was heartening, and the 3 of us who blew the whistle on inmate abuse feel vindicated, and are grateful to see the reality of Psalms 52:1-5 play out.
Though I would be able to be transferred to serve in a key treatment capacity in prison sex offender treatment after I helped bring the abuse of inmates to light, what insight can be offered from such an unusually challenging situation within the prison system? It is important to remember that, in each of our lives, there will be time when we are confronted with a moral dilemma of different sizes, of varying degrees of significance. Some of those may be small, some quite significant. It is at such moments we find out what we're made of, what our core values are, and whether we will do the hard thing... regardless of the personal price. Like Moses in the Old Testament, may we each strive daily to be ready to do what's right, to put principle over pragmatism, to engage when it comes to protecting others being harmed... for that is the high calling and high price of the road less traveled."
​
As an aside... because of my key role in bringing the abuse of inmates to light, for my role of protecting those who could not speak up for themselves, and because of my exemplary and unblemished personal and professional background, I have been asked to serve again as a key witness once again James Harrington, and other administrative officials, in an upcoming civil case filed by the family of one of the inmates who killed himself within "regular" Solitary Confinement (a unit which was not apart of the SSNU), as a result of their being negligent and culpable in their individual capacities for the harm endured by vulnerable mental health inmates.
Inmate MH
Inmate MH
Confronted with this moral dilemma, we elected to do the hard thing... because we knew that we would answer to a Higher Authority (Mt. 25:40).
What step did we take? The only one we could, after having exhausted all legitimate avenues... after it became evident that the system had become corrupted and closed... keeping the dark behaviors from being known by anyone "on the outside" that could hold these sophisticated psychopaths accountable, and stop the abuse. As it was known within the prison, "the grey wall" would ensure that nothing got out about what happened behind close doors. So, we put it all on the line, and reached out for help. As a result, I and my two clinical colleagues (constituting 100% of the clinical treatment staff on the unit), would play the key role in the nation's first case against a prison system for sanctioning the abuse of mental health inmates in solitary confinement. And, it would be this case that would initiate the changes throughout the nation, with regard to ending the punitive use of long-term Solitary Confinement as punishment against inmates with mental health diagnosis.
As the investigation was concluding, both the lead prosecutor for the US DOJ, and the lead prosecutor for the federal watchdog over prisons The Disability Rights Network, each personally expressed their gratitude for my willingness to be the first psychology staff in the US to step forward in such selfless manner, to put it all on the line in terms of my career, professional reputation, and even my safety, in order to ensure protect vulnerable inmates (including a Trans inmate) were protected from abuse. They knew, and even gave me "heads-up", that after their investigation and case was closed, that sometime in the future, those unmasked by their investigation would likely find a sophisticated method of retaliating, so that the DOJ's ability to protect me would likely not be possible. And, for the record... those words would sadly be prophetic.
The inconvenient truth is that the evil that emerged would never have emerged if it had not been existing already under the surface. It was not the situation that changed them, but the opportunity which exposed who they truly were when they thought no one was actually looking... or that they would be called to give an account for such abusive behavior. That is the uncomfortable truth of psychopathy, as we would rather say it had to do with circumstances, as opposed to opportunity. And, it would be that truth that would help me gain valuable insights the deeper I dove into the minds of Sophisticated Sexual Predators... especially when I later had the opportunity to transition from the treatment within Solitary Confinement, to overseeing the treatment on one the the DOC's High Intensity Sex Offender Treatment Units.
And, that is where I learned how the criminal mind can actually be sophisticated enough to avoid arrest, while less sophisticated, less calculating, and more prone to acting impulsively may be the ones who get arrested. I learned from that unique world the differences between white collar psychopaths and bloody psychopaths, even before going through the Certification course with Dr. Robert Hare for the PCL-R. And, I learned how, on a certain level, those psychopaths who are in positions of power and control, who have managed to craft for themselves a facade of respectability... even a church-going persona... tend to be just as darkened as those behind bars, but can create far more victims than those actually "doing time"... victims who suffer and bleed emotionally from the sophisticated kind of abuse strategically inflicted by this wolf in sheep's clothing... this master manipulator... this cunning deceiver.
​
And, that is where I learned what the survivors of domestic abuse and prolonged sexual abuse have known all along, yet have kept quiet out of a sense of futility and/or fear... that the profoundly adept abuser, the Sophisticated Psychopath, is able to create an image in the minds of "outsiders" where he is viewed as a wonderful, decent, likable, and decent man... as opposed to the manipulative, heinous, cut-throat perpetrator that he is, who simply has everyone fooled.
It was in that world that I began to see that the human heart is, above everything else, amazingly deceptive, and capable of anything... and that it resides within those behind bars, and those who are tasked of "care, custody, and control." That is not to say that there aren't prison employees who are guided by moral and ethics, as I encountered many good professionals. However, it was eye-opening for me to see how some prison employees morphed into very darkened, calloused, and even sadistic individuals once they entered the prison. In fact, I witnessed men who's wives, neighbors, and even churches would likely never guess that the man they thought they knew was in reality someone who derived a sense of satisfaction from exercising control over those he deemed to be "beneath" him. It was in that world that I came to understand how otherwise normal men in Germany in the late 1930s could morph into Nazis... who could do unconscionably
wicked things during the day, then return home to unsuspecting family members, who thought such men were good, decent, and upright... even noble.
​
It was in that world (despite the challenges of having to deal with some very darkened staff in the midst of very professional staff), that I began doing a deep dive into the minds of men who were sociopathic and psychopathic... and learned to differentiate the qualitative differences between the two psychological states.
What did I learn about the criminal mind, especially as it related to those men with whom I had on my caseload? I learned that psychopathy is a progressive process, not an inherited propensity, a genetic predisposition, or the result of environmental or familial factors as the prevailing research had seemed to indicate through MRIs, PET scans, genetic analysis. Those static pictures and analysis lacked the key piece of information... data from unscripted interviews, obtained from spontaneous, unsolicited, and unscripted information, over an extended period of time. Rare is the time that a researcher has that kind of access, time, and budget to permit such an extended embedded field study. Though I did not know it at the time, that information would prove invaluable... as I would eventually do a deep dive into the minds of some of the state's most sophisticated of Sexual Predators on a fairly large scale.
Having spent months-on-end, investing countless hours doing a deep dive into the minds of serial rapists, murders, and heinous child molesters (and, even a cannibal)... the kinds featured in some of the more famous movies... I found I was in a most unique place... to put in the kind of time and display the kind of fortitude necessary to earn their trust and respect... to be in the right place at the right time... to hear the secrets surface in unguarded moments... things they said they had never disclosed to anyone before... about why they did what they did... what contributed... what led them to do what they did... and, the process by which they transformed into a woman... or child's... worst nightmare. Those kinds of things will truly only emerge over time.
So, I invested the necessary time.... long hours... under unbelievably difficult circumstances at times (even to the point of suffering permanent hearing damage due to the incredibly loud banging on the doors that can spontaneously erupt without much advanced warning, as certain inmates would start "gang warring" with each other), and gained tremendous insights. Why was I so invested? I knew it was a unique opportunity, the kind outside researchers could only dream of... so, I took full advantage of it.
Insights Gained from Overseeing
High Intensity Sex Offender Treatment
for
High Risk Sex Offenders
& Sexually Violent Predators
After 6 solid years heading up treatment within the Secure Special Needs Unit, I was afforded a most unique opportunity... to lead the clinical services within one of PA DOC's High Intensity, multi-phase, Residential Sex Offender Treatment Units, and for providing Sex Offender Treatment to those sex offenders deemed to be at the Highest Risk of Reoffending and/or were designated to be Sexually Violent Predators... and, it was during that time that I began to understand just how much I had already learned about the criminal mind from working within Solitary Confinement, and working with profound Sexual Predators. In fact, it was during my work within the High Intensity Sex Offender Unit that I came to understand how much I had already learned this population from my intensive treatment within Solitary Confinement, and how effective I was with them, in terms of assessment and treatment... for a number of those men had been sexual predators. And, it was from my intensive work with psychopaths that I was uniquely positioned to begin to see how men who've perpetrated sex offenses have added another dynamic to the process of psychopathy... sexual deviance. That became very clear, and that would be something I would seek to understand in an in-depth fashion.
But, to be able to actually spend a solid year, immersed within one of the PA DOC's two High Intensity Sexual Offender Treatment Unit, over seeing the treatment, having unlimited and unfettered access to such men, able to spend unheard of amounts of time interviewing the men, establishing the necessary therapeutic alliances with such men so as to gain their confidence sufficiently , to win their trust, to prove that I was not simply "going through the motions, but wanted to do a deep dive to understand why men became predators, what contributed, and why some targeted adults, why some offended teen, and why some offended children, and why they chose the genders of their victims field testing my own curriculum, and why some were more methodical than others in terms of their grooming and hunting. And, mostly, I wanted to know what went through their minds, what led them to do what they did, and what changed over time for them, to morph them into sexual predators. Just as with my treatment opportunity in Solitary Confinement, I knew it was a unique opportunity, the kind outside researchers could only dream of... so, I took full advantage of it.
And, the men could tell that I was not simply the kind of Psychology Staff they had previously experienced, for they saw how I went to great lengths to add additional treatment to their daily routine on the unit. In fact, my daily treatment "chalk talks" were so well received by the "residents", that within the span of 3 months, approximately 90% of the men on the unit voluntarily gave up their afternoon "free time" to attended the extra treatment I afforded them. Why did I invest so much of myself on that unit? Why did I spend so much extra time meeting with so many of the men on that unit? I realized what a unique opportunity I was being afforded to do a deep dive into the minds of such predators unlike any outside researchers. And, I took full advantage of it.
And, it was on that unit that I received feedback from the men regard how much more they were suddenly getting out of treatment, as I simply just didn't stick with a cognitive-behavior approach to their treatment, but I placed a heavy emphasis upon character and spiritual development. And, with my understanding of the process of psychopathy, I was able to help those men understand the extent to which porn had changed their brains, and morphed them into the realm of psychopathy. For some it would be possible to reverse that course with sufficient repentance, and a genuine spiritual awakening. With the others, the focus of my work with them was to discern the extent to which they posed a danger to the public, and how best to ensure those men remained locked-up until they showed evidence of not being a threat any longer.
​
It was during those years, that my clinical assessments for Parole considerations were being noticed by Central Office and the Board of Parole. As a result, I was invited to be part of a hand-selected group of clinicians within the PA Dept. of Corrections to be personally trained by Dr. Robert Hare Ph.D., for Clinical Certification in the Hare Psychopathy Checklist (PCL-R)... for the purpose of conducting clinical forensic assessments on Sexually Violent Predators and other kinds of psychopaths. That was a great honor, and a great opportunity, as it afforded me the rare opportunity to become Forensically Certified in the Hare Psychopathy Checklist (PCL-R), the most widely-utilized assessment instrument used to determine clinical degrees of psychopathy.I knew it was a unique opportunity, the kind outside researchers rarely are afforded... so, I took full advantage of it.
It was during my oversight of the High Intensity Sex Offender Unit that I recognized the unique opportunity I had been given in terms of having unlimited and unfettered access to those inmates who "outside" researchers would give their eye teeth to study... sexual predators. So, I knew I needed to make the most of such an opportunity. And, that is exactly what I did... purposefully doing a deep dive into the minds of the fill continuum of sex offenders, especially those of the sophisticated child predator. The results of that work formed the basis of my intensive trainings, and was the reason for starting ChurchProtect.org, a site dedicated to educating people on the nature of the most sophisticated kinds of Sexual Predators most likely to target churches and other targets of opportunity, wherever future victims can most readily be accessed.
Having spent the first half of my clinical career working intensively with Survivors of Sexual Abuse, and working with kids in residential treatment, I quickly realized how much people and clinicians did NOT know about the most sophisticated of child predators... for how could they know? In retrospect, I now realize that, prior to working in prison, I was lacking the kind of information and understanding of Sexual Predators necessary to be able to identify their Red Flag Characteristics, how their minds operate, what truly motivates them, how some of them transition into being child predators,their time-tested methods of grooming, manipulation, and perpetration... all of which is so vital to ensuring the protection of children and Survivors.
During my years on Psychology Staff within the PA Dept. of Corrections, I made it a personal and professional mission to study such predators intensively, as I knew that I could do so in such a way that few researchers could. I had the opportunity to study them "up close and personal," in the right way (proper methodology is vital in conducting research into sexual predators), and to ensure the information I was obtaining was accurate and verifiable (in research terms, we call that validity & reliability). I knew it was a unique opportunity, the kind outside researchers could only dream of... so, I took full advantage of it. I used my unfettered access... my ability to spend unlimited amounts of time with such inmates... even to go where no outside researcher was permitted (the Restricted Housing Unit for those men serving "time" for security or disciplinary reasons)... in order to access the largest numbers of applicable offenders "behind the scenes."
It is in that environment, where they haven't got anyone to manipulate, where they are monitored 24/7, where all of their personal and clinical files are able to be accessed, when their stories can be corroborated, their phone correspondence accessed, and their cells and personal items searched... it is there where their closely guarded secrets emerged. And, it is in that environment you can learn what they are doing "behind the scenes once they their leave Sex Offender Treatment group. You can learn the extent to which they are telling you the truth about not having any more pictures that would stir their lust and deviance... and whether they have hidden pictures of children in between the pages of their books, notebooks, and letters back in their cells.
And, it is in that environment that you learn just how deceptive the most trustworthy-appearing pedophiles actually are, and how this degree of double-checking and corroboration of their compliance would be impossible if they were attending outpatient groups or "therapy on the street", where the Predator could tell the trusting or naive therapist how they were "non-offending", yet have no way of knowing what the Predator was doing back home, behind closed doors as he went online.
Though I had worked in many different clinical settings with a wide variety of clinical populations, it was not until I started working within a prison setting with sex offenders that I began to appreciate the unique challenges inherent in trying to accurately and reliably study this population, given that they are the world's greatest manipulators. I realized both the unique benefits and necessity of an embedded approach to properly researching the sexual predator, as they are the world's greatest deceivers.
Just as there's only so much one can learn from interacting with predators when they know you're watching, it is far better to embed yourself in such a way that they begin to drop their guard... so you can see them in their unscripted moments. And, that is the reason why those who've done such "behind the scenes" field research, who've done a deep dive in ways that most researchers aren't able to replicate from an office, or with only a limited amount of time and budget, are able to bring unique insights surface and can be closely observed in an unscripted manner.
Prior to working in prison, I has learned a lot about the harm sex offenders inflict upon their victims, and their ability to manipulate them to ensure their compliance and silence, there would have been no way for me to have truly understood their minds, motives, and methods without having the kind of unlimited and unfettered access to them that my 11+ year full time position as a Psychological Services Specialist would afford.
The things I learned from such an embedded approach to clinical field research were invaluable, as my graduate text books were written by researchers who had limited access to such predators, and had to confine their interactions to structured interviews with such predators. It quickly became apparent that this specific population of men... those who had sexually perpetrated upon women and children... were the world's greatest deceivers, for that is how they got away with creating so many victims.
Though there are the bloody psychopaths and the impulsive predators, those are by far the minority of sexual predators. The vast majority of them are men... who, by what they began to look at on a regular basis, by progressing into more graphic content and themes, and started to access online, started to impact their minds in predictable ways, and their brains in measurable ways...
​
The Most Sophisticated of Predators Are
silent about the progression of their deviance, as it led them into predictable transitions, and eventually into child porn. The key transition is "Barely Legal."
For the vast majority of sexual offenders, the Gateway "Drug" for those who sexually use, manipulate, groom, violate, and defile inevitably is with lust-producing images, which then progresses into"soft core" porn, the it can progress via many paths, which takes him into more deviant and more objectifying directions. What used to satisfy him, no longer does, so he progresses. For Pedophiles, they inevitable transition into Barely Legal, then continue downward in terms of the age he lusts after. His lust changes from "normal" lust, into a lust to defraud and defile. He will also be driven into themes of violence, and inevitable bestiality. The current push toward accepting bondage (50 Shades), kink (more extreme bondage), cross dressing (drag). For Pedophiles, they also make use of Furries (which enables them to hide their identities from parents and authorities while grooming vulnerable and impressionable youth... many of whom are being lured into the Trans Deception), anime animation, and "pup play" toward psychologically breaking down the inhibitions and boundaries of kids, while camouflaging serious deviance (bondage and bestiality) as fun and harmless play. In prison, it was not uncommon for cell searches to reveal this progression, which eventually culminated in "detective" stories of women and kids being raped and murdered and "snuff porn." It was noted that the rapists with adult victims reported backing away from barely legal, as even they were "turned off" by the seeing that it would inevitably lead toward the violation of children. Though rapists are influenced by violent porn, they will rarely be found with child victims or child porn. In fact, it was the adult rapists who often wanted to harm the "baby rapers" in prison. That speak volumes to the difference in terms of psychopathy and deviance between men who become Pedophiles and those who don't.
men who began accessing ever-increasing amounts of porn... who passed well beyond the addiction stage... into a predictable downward process on the slippery slope... morphing as they went further into darker, more deviant porn...
then moved him beyond lust into deviance, where their inner world became inverted... where they progressed further into a darkening degree of objectification to where they were only excited when they knew they were able to cause pain and suffering, and turning the person they were using into something to be used instead of valued, respected, and protected.
​
As they progressed into deviance, their brains are changed... along with their inner world... morphing into the irreversible state of psychopathy. But, as their brains changed, so did their desire for the thrill of the hunt, as they became driven by money, sex, and power... and eventually driven to have the satisfaction of being able to "control the game"... as they morphed into the psychological chess masters. Thus, their characteristics become consistent, as they work to perfect the art of masquerading, the art of deception, the art of manipulation, and the art of the spin.
By this time in the downward progression, they have become calculating predators... adept liars who love "the game"... who are energized by the thrill of the hunt, the excitement they get from pulling the wool over people's eyes, and from manipulating & defrauding the trust of their victims, and then being able to ensure their victim's compliance and silence...
​
power and control turns into a desire to defraud and defile innocence... transitioning from adult to "barely legal"... then into the world of perversions... where the lust for degrading things... which inevitably includes animals... then a desire to steal innocence, mar purity, to defile and scar the soul of a child children grew. This is the progression into child offending, and this is the dirty little secret that was revealed over the years of working with child predators... and this is what Pedophiles hate having revealed to the unsuspecting parents.
​
That was never mentioned in any of my grad text books, never covered in class. And, that is what so few parents understand, and that is why Sophisticated Predators are able to create so many victims... especially in places where children congregate.
​
Hence, in 2015, ChurchProtect.org was launched, followed by SurvivorSupport.net, for educational and training purposes, to help equip churches, parents, schools, youth athletic organizations, and anyone else interested in learning about the minds, motives, and methods of the most sophisticated of Sexual Predators, and how best to protect children from them. And, it is that mission which continues to guid my work, my trainings, and my posts, as I reveal the Red Flag Characteristics of Predators.
So, parents, from all the experience I have had within the prison system... and from working with a wide range of psychopaths and sexual predators... I want to share the following warning, as very sophisticated Predators will be using this current situation as a means of targeting kids. And, the following should serve as a prime example.
Every once in a while, a unique opportunity presents itself which can enhance the mission of equipping parents and other to better identify the Characteristics of Predators, so they can better protect kids. And, one such opportunity has presented itself. So, I wanted to direct parents' attention to it, so they can take the time necessary to study "in real time" the ways and mind of a predator in realtime... or, at least take the opportunity as long as the window of opportunity exists, as this likely predator may simply shut his page down, and elect to continue on his one of his other anonymous social media pages.
The following is provided to help parents see how the most sophisticated of Predators operate. Though social media is filled with Predators, it's rare to be able to identify a truly Sophisticated Predator...for rarely does he become sloppy enough or emboldened enough to let himself be studied by the average person. It is this kind who laughs at the average "child safety policy," as he is the kind most willing to push for such policies, as he knows most people mistakenly believe that such Predators are constrained by conscience... they believe such written policies actually serve as a deterrents to such predators. That is why this is the most likely kind to target churches, schools, sports-related activities, and other places where children most readily gather on a regular basis. Recently, they have begun strategically targeting vulnerable children, who are either on the Autism Spectrum, or are "gender confused"... as those children have a difficult time trusting and making sense of their intuition, thus easily spotted, selected, manipulated (groomed), and sexually exploited by the likes of this kind of Sophisticated Predator. And, as you will learn in this special blog article, they are using unique online methods of grooming kids, and are embedding themselves within popular youth activities in order to fool parents and gain direct access to their kids, to begin a very strategic type of grooming process.
As you continue to read through this blog post, you will gain an understanding of the difference between the "low level" kind of Predator vs. the Sophisticated Predator... the kind most likely to orchestrate the activities of many lower lever offenders. Though the "low level" Predator is still a major concern, as they are the kind who troll the shallows of the internet, preying upon trusting kids, it is the Sophisticate Predator who not only hunts for kids, but also uses other Predators to do his bidding. And, he is the kind who actually crafts the talking points for "the lower level" Predators, where they can then take those talking points and serve as "Predator Apologists", attempting to persuade others of the harmless nature of MAPs (Minor Attracted men... men who are porn-fueled, who lust after sexually using and defiling kids) , and the harmlessness of activities, such as Furries and Drag Queen Story Hour), that allow grown men to play dress-up to hide their identities, then gain direct access to other people's kids... to spend special moments "loving on" the kids.
In the following, you will have the opportunity to learn about one of the more Sophisticated Predators I've had the opportunity to interact with and assess, which came about from his "unique interest" in my work, and has posted about it since Dec. 2018... though he was not brought to my attention until 9 months later (in Aug. 2019). Since that time, and since he has changed his Twitter account and name multiple times, I have given his the nickname of 'Mr. Hamburger' (for reasons discussed later). Such a fixation is not uncommon to those of us in professional clinical work, and most people have heard of the movie Fatal Attraction, where a jilted lover makes it their mission in life to track the every move of the object of obsession. However, rare is the time you have an adult man who is not an actual client become so fixated on a professional clinician... even to the point of "pinning" his post to the top of a Twitter page. Having worked within the field of mental health for nearly 30 years, I can assure you, it's extremely rare. But, other than a fixation stemming from either profound jealousy or paranoia, there would be another time where someone would become so fixated... when a profoundly psychopathic man dedicates himself to "getting even"... to "having the last word." Having removed a number of such deviant child predators out of my former Sex Offender Treatment groups ("failing out" of such a treatment group will delay when such a sex offender can get out of prison), it makes sense that one of those sexual predators would make it his mission, upon release from prison, to try to "even the score"... to make it his personal mission on social media to, as he often notes at the end of his Twitter posts, "#Take Uhler Down."
Would such men... those who long to defile children... those who get kicked out of sex offender treatment... act in ways indicative of ppsychopathy? Well, since those who sexually defile children meet the clinical criteria of psychopathy... as they have no conscience, no empathy, no remorse... yes, they would also act consistently with the other characteristics of a psychopath, especially if they happened to be a Sophisticated Psychopath. Thus, it shouldn't surprise us that they exhibit the other characteristics of psychopaths, such as being driven to ensure that have the last word, the last say, and the last laugh. Those of you who've experienced a "nasty divorce" have likely witnessed such "drivenness"... even at the expense of the kids, despite all the talking point by that ex-spouse how they will "fight for the kids." This is the same type of dynamic underneath the situations we read about where a father kills his kids to get back at the mother... as the psychopath looks so normal, can sound so reasonable, yet harbor the darkest of drives under the surface.
It is this very dynamic... the unique internal twisting effect that happens within the mind and soul... which actually permanently change the brain in measurable ways... that I unpack in my trainings, as it is this dynamic that changes a man into a Sophisticated Sexual Predator. Few have had the opportunity to study it "up close and personal" in the right way over a long enough period of time, so that is why it needs to be understood by parents, as these men appear so normal, yet inwardly are ravenous wolves, looking for their next young victim to target, groom, manipulate, and exploit. With respect to those who evidence such Red Flags of Sexual Predators, it is vital for parents to understand that porn has been the key factor in bringing about such changes within such men. That is the dirty little secret they must ensure stays out of the public's awareness... as they know that would result in all sympathies evaporating for men who lust after kids.
Deviant men have worked hard to craft the false narrative that Pedophiles/MAPs are born with brains that a developmentally deficient, that is simply a well-crafted deception The reality is that the changes within the brains of such Predators are not due to developmental factors, but the result of countless of hours of watching porn behind closed doors. That is why their brains appear different on scans. Porn and the internet has taken the normal darkening process of deviance... which has been in play since the fall of man... and simply supercharged the process. That is why you will find that 100% of all men busted for child offenses will ALWAYS be found possessing heinous child porn, with themes of rape being in abundance.
The changes within the brains of these men are real and profound... and have morphed them into a men who are drive to hunt kids, as opposed to protect them. And, that is why they fight so vigorously against those who seek to protect kids from them... to unmask the dark deception of the man-made psychological lie of MAPs (Minor Attracted Persons... AKA: Men who lust after sexually defiling kids)... because sexually defiling kids has become their deviant fixation and darkened addiction.
These "non-contact", "non-offending" "attracted" predators... these darkened sophisticated pedophiles secretly moved well beyond legal porn in their initial efforts to satisfy their lust and sexual addiction... they moved well beyond deviance in their porn consumption... they progressed beyond the darkened kind of porn with themes of power, control, and dominance... to hunger after the kind of porn that shows sadistic rape... shows bestiality... shows innocence being defiled, young souls being traumatized... young trafficked kids being brutally raped... that is the dark and malevolent porn of all Sophisticated Predators. These deviant porn-saturated men, who refer to themselves as MAPs, have worked hard to craft a sophisticated lie... and to push the deceptive man-made psychological narrative... that they don't access porn... despite their self-admission that they lust after children. They lust because of what they've fed their minds and souls with a constant stream of porn... and they've done so secretly for years behind closed doors... where no one would know of their double-life. That is why he hide his identity, why he uses VPNs, and why he harmonizes online with others of his kind. And, that is why the people around the pedophile are almost always surprised once the police raid his home, and find all of his child porn. How many times have church goers or co-workers been heard to say, "We never would have suspected him."
It was not his brain or his family development that caused his "attraction." It was his consumption of porn, that sent him down the slippery slope, into deviance, and into a twisting process where he became morally inverted... where he morphed into a sophisticated sexual predator. The process of deviance has always been the same, but, as he soon discovered, porn and the internet supercharged that process, leading him downward in predictable stages. After years of working intensively with sexual offenders it became clear... both in terms of reading the police reports, reading their files, and listening to them in groups and individual therapy, that the dirty little secret of the MAP... the one secret they try to keep away from the public's awareness... is that their lust for children stems from their extensive porn consumption. It is their year's worth of secret porn use that has created their lust toward defiling children. And, it is his extensive porn consumption that has changed his brain and mind in profound ways. In what ways has it changed? The following will begin to give you an understanding of that process.
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Unlike what most parents and churches have been led to believe, the Sexual Psychopath is NOT the "snatch-n- grab" kind of molester, who waits in parked cars to get ahold of unsuspecting kids. Those are the kinds that grab headlines, for they are so dramatic. But, that kind of predator is by far the minority of those who will target kids. The kind of Predator who will inevitably have a significant number of victims... the kind of Predator most likely to specifically target churches or other places where the greatest numbers of potential victims are most easily accessed... is the Sophisticated White Collar Sexual Psychopath. And, that is why, during my trainings, I spend a significant amount of time helping those in attendance to first "get behind the eyes" of the psychopath... to understand his mind, his motivation, and his methods. Then, with an understanding of the mind of the Sophisticated Psychopath, they can see how a sexual Predator is made... as the Predator bathes and saturates his psychopathic mind with progressively darkening porn.
The following is one of the videos I use during my multiple-day intensive trainings, as it does a nice job in looking at the kind of men who, once saturated in porn, will go on to become the Sophisticated Sexual Predators. As you will see, the most Sophisticated kinds of White Collar Psychopaths do NOT wear trench coats.
Thus, as we consider such white collar psychopathic men as exemplified by Mr. Hamburger... those who are Masters of Manipulation... who hide their identity online... who will inevitably have multiple anonymous identities online... such men, who are the kind most likely to be removed from Sex Offender Treatment for "Failure to Admit" to their perpetration (despite the clear evidence contained in their police reports)... it is invaluable to watch at how they manifest the the characteristics of the psychopath... especially after they've been denied from what they believe was rightfully their's... early from prison without any repentance or change.
It is this kind who will wait for the day he can get out... to when they can "get even"... to be able to "even the score." That is why, once exposed, such online Predators are so persistent... so driven, so unrelenting, will keep at it, and will never give it up. In fact, they will make it their own personal mission... even to the extent of creating an entire Twitter page to highlight and telegraph that personal mission. Why? Because, like all psychopaths, whether they've been busted for their child porn or managed to still sufficiently hide their online activities so as to have avoided apprehension... as Sophisticate White Collar Psychopaths... are dedicated to ensuring they have the last word, the last say, and the last laugh. But, rare opportunities make for such a unique learning opportunities... especially when it has to do with understanding the minds, motives, and methods of Sophisticated Predators. And, that is why Mr. Hamburger presents such a rare opportunity to see one in action.
If a picture is worth a thousands words, the following pictures should speak volumes as to how such men transition from porn-addicted, to deviant, to eventually porn-fueled calculating Predators. As they descend and morph into profound depravity and psychopathy, they become all the more calculating and strategic... always striving to ensure they craft and control a false and deceptive narrative. For them, "playing the game" (manipulating others) becomes a series of "moves and counter moves." That is why the one thing you can count on when dealing with Sophisticated Psychopaths... they are always lying, always calculating, always manipulating, always "working it," and, therefore, they are always consistent. And, if they ever do start to lose control... lose control of their web of lies... lose control of their carefully crafted narrative... they will go into attack mode, into deflection mode... all toward ensuring that they can't be unmasked as the grand liar and master manipulator they truly are... all toward ensuring no one finally unmasks their dark porn-fueled deviance. This predictable process was revealed over the years of my intensive clinical work in prison with the likes of such men as Mr. Hamburger.
So, what are some of the more concerning Red Flags to watch for when discerning the extent to which someone on social media is likely a Sophisticated Predator?
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hides 100% of his identity (this is the very first thing to watch for),
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shows an unusual degree of interest in justifying, defending and normalizing men who lust after kids,
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shows an unusual degree of persistence in trying to silence those who have clinical knowledge of the characteristics of Child Predators,
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shows an unusual degree of intensity in debating clinical professionals about the topic of Sexual Predators... yet without having a clinical background,
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Searches for and uses photos of other people's kids
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So, what would you think if you found out that Mr. Hamburger (or, Verr Heermeist'r, as he currently calls himself on his Twitter page) went onto Facebook to hunt for the photo of somebody's kid? That would be pretty creepy, eh? Well, fasten your seatbelt...
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Here's my son, Reed, who is a son to make a father proud. Reed posted this picture of himself on his own Facebook page. Now, scroll down just a bit to take a look at the screen shots of Mr. Hamburger's recent Twitter page... notice any resemblance to a photo he was recently using until just recently for his own Avatar?
Welcome to just how creepy and shameless such Sophisticated Predators are, such as Mr. Hamburger (my term of endearment for him), men who hide their online identities... as they do so for a reason. Not only do they inevitably have multiple social media accounts, but they love to take and use the pictures of people's kids. As such, parents, please be sure to remind you kids to never send pictures to people who've "friended" them online.
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So, with the likes of a predatory anonymous man, such as Mr. Hamburger, being brazen enough to keep his Twitter page up, parents have the unique opportunity to study the ways of the more sophisticated type of online Predator... as he has a significant number of key Red Flag Indicators. You can clearly see why this kind of porn-saturated deviant man hides his identity. They will try to assert that it is for their "safety." And, if you believe that, some of my former clients in prison would love to sell you a bridge.
Think such men won’t be adept liars and deceivers? Think such men won't impersonate as someone else, even pretending to be a teen girl, or a middle school boy in order to attract and groom your child? Think such men wouldn't use someone's personal photo to masquerade & hide their identity? Think they hide their identity for legitimate reasons? What do you think the men who were in my prison sex offender treatment groups would say?
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As I have recently found it quite beneficial to use Mr. Hamburger's account as a point of instruction during my consultations with those looking for help with better protecting their churches and organizations. As I do with them, I encourage you to take the opportunity to use this account (or any of the multiple Twitter accounts you will see listed in the various screen shots posted below) to familiarize yourself with the Sophisticated Predator's mindset, his degrees of deviance, those things he defends and tries to normalize, his methods of manipulation, the false narratives he creates, the talking points he attempts to spin to normalize deviance and the men who lust after defiling children, and the classic debate tactics and techniques he employs designed to stop anyone from unmasking him... just as he will use when someone he know begins to suspect and unmask him.
Next, begin investigating who he "follows", and who "follows" him on Twitter. Simply place your cursor over the "follows" and "following" buttons, then click on them, and you will see an entire listing of names for you to investigate. By doing so, you will see that a world opens up to you... a very dark and deviant world that most parents are unaware even exists, yet sadly is so readily available to kids. The world that opens to you are you dig is one of very deviant adults... some of the most deviant anonymous men (and some women) who are "birds of a feather", who harmonize together over their "shared interests"... who support the same kinds of deviant "communities" and activities... who feed their porn-saturated inclinations... who have learned from one another in their quest for better and more effective methods of grooming children. And, as you continue reading down through this blog article, you will gain a sense of some of the key Red Flag Indicators of Predators, gleaned from 11+ years of intensive forensic work with the full continuum of incarcerated Sexual Offenders. The more parents, ministry leaders, and others in positions of organizational leadership understand what to look for in terms of the Red Flag Characteristics of such Predators, the better able they will be to ensure the protection of children.
So, parents, I would encourage you to:
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Take some time to go onto a likely Predators accounts (you'll see some in the below, as I interact with them in some posts).
Mr. Hamburger's Twitter account serves as a rare opportunity to look into an account of a sophisticated Predator. Rare is the time they are so bold as to continue interacting with someone who understands the mind and methods of Predators. As they are often concerned with having their activities and location identified, they will usually only interact for a limited amount of time. But, Mr. Hamburger has been doggedly persistent in his interactions with me since Aug. 2019 (secretly posting about me since Dec. 2018), it affords a unique opportunity to study his mind, methods, and ways.
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So, take advantage of the opportunity his account affords... before he changes it, or closes it down and opens up another one. Since "birds of a feather flock together," pay special attention to who he "follows" on Twitter, and who "follows" him. Click onto each, then click onto the names listed, and begin your own detective work. But, I first issue this Warning: Be prepared to see some rather disturbing images. for if you follow the rabbit holes far enough, you will find the following types of Deviant Groups which employ sophisticated Child Grooming Methods and Techniques:
As was detailed by the pedophiles during the years I conducted Sex Offender Treatment to incarcerated pedophiles, Pedophiles use Anime art as an online method of communicating with other Pedophiles regarding their preferred "age of preference", and they use it as an effective child grooming tool. The following is but a small sample... and quite mild... of what you will find if you investigate those Mr. Hamburger "follows" on Twitter, and those who "follow" him. You can see what you go up against if you start to unmask the reality of the grooming taking place via anime:
As you read the following sample of posts, note how Mr. Hamburger hides 100% of his identity, repeatedly changes his Twitter avatar and account name, as can serve as Red Flag Characteristics Indicators, as such Predators will inevitably have multiple accounts on Twitter or Facebook. As you examine the changes, ask yourself the al important question when it comes to assessing Predators, "Is this normal behavior?" That is the one question that Predators fight against, as Predators gain the most mileage from saying, "I know what it looks like, but it's really not that." That is why they must convince people that their unusual behavior is "perfectly understandable."
Predictably, such Predators will always try to take it to the next level, as what once satisfied them never does for long... and that is why churches are so easily fooled, as they count on good people believing them.... taking them at face value... taking them at their word... because they sound so sincere, so believable, so convincing, so knowledgable, so much like they know what they're talking about, as they can cherry pick information, take it out of context, and create an entirely false narrative that sounds so believable... until facts start to surface that shows them to be the grand fraudsters they are... the great deceivers they are.
Because they are driven by an internal porn-fueled darkness, and... as white collar psychopaths... they will inevitably increase the thrill of the hunt... they will inevitably be driven to "kick it up a notch". That pattern was not only made clear from my review of 1000s of sexual predator criminal files and psychological assessments, but also by listening to them in Sex Offender Treatment groups. So, it really should not have surprised me that he had actually searched for and found a picture of my on of my sons to use for his own Twitter page. But, that is par for the course for his type, for that is what they do... look for pictures of other people's kids to use online. However, once this Sophisticated Predator discovered that I had made that reality public (he evidently monitors my websites), he switched pictures... as he knew it was bad PR for him to have my son's photo on his site. So, in less than 12 hours, he elected to change his picture... which is all too characteristic of the Sophisticate Predator.
As they are Masters of Deception, Predators such as Mr. Hamburger derive a sense of enjoyment at being able to use many different names and identities while hunting for kids online. To them, this is all part of the sport... the thrill of "the game." Sophisticated Predators such as Mr. Hamburger (as I affectionately refer to him) are Masters of Disguise & Masters of Deception. Less than 24 hrs after I posted about how he went to the effort of looking for one of my own son's photos to post as his own Avatar for his Twitter account (how creepy is that?!)... he has once again: changed his Twitter picture, changed his Twitter name , & changed his Twitter account. In fact, as you scroll down further, you will see how many times and in how he has changed just one of his multiple accounts. Look closely, and you will see how adept and creative he is when it comes to changing a single key stroke to accomplish his purpose. For, educational purposes... and as time permits... I will try to provide updated examples (below) of just how many times he continues to change his photo & name, as it will hopefully help parents better understand one of their "tricks of the trade." Any updates will be added below for easy review and comparison.
So, parents, given the degree of deception evidenced by such Sophisticated Predators, it is vitally important to ensure you keep apprised of who's interacting online with your child. Ask them about anyone who hides their identity behind Avatars, for legitimate people should have their true identities readily available.
As this clearly reveals, such Predators will inevitably have multiple accounts, for their well-developed prowess at masquerading enables them to easily and seamlessly hunt for and engage unsuspecting kids on multiple fronts. For all the child knows, she suddenly has multiple "friends" willing to interact with her online... but, little does she know that a single Sophisticated Predator, such as the likes of Mr. Hamburger, will inevitably employ multiple anonymous accounts simultaneously, from which they will gather information about a child from each of their anonymous interactions. Parents, please take heed, as this kind of Sophisticated Predator will employ a high degree of sophistication to engage unsuspecting children online. Unfortunately for Mr. Hamburger, I learned much from having the likes of his kind in my prison Sex Offender groups. And, that is why he is so intent upon thwarting a strong message of child protection.
But, to help you see the extent to which they are Master's of Disguise, I will try to give updates as to his latest change, so parents can see this unusual behavior for themselves, as that is one of the Red Flag Indicator of a Predator. After all, what grown man do you know that exhibits such online behavior... while he hides his identity? Welcome to the Predator's propensity toward making strategic moves.
You will see how how such porn-fueled men, as Mr. Hamburger... men who push the deception of "non-offending" or "non-contact" pedophiles... men who try to rebrand the porn-fueled deviant lust as "attraction" by pedaling the man-made psychological deception of MAPs...
deviant porn-saturated men interact with and involve themselves with other "like-minded" men... men who vigorously defend playing dress-up in Furries or men dressing-up in women's underwear and Drag in order to gain direct access to other people's kids. These are the same kind of men who refuse to condemn any man who would get naked with other people's kids.
If a man is known by the company he keeps, this will tell you all you need to know. But, parents, you do need to know, for these are the kinds of Sophisticated Predators who look for other people's kids and seek to have Pedophilia normalized, legalized, and protected in society.
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Take some time to study the strategies, methods, and debate tactics of a likely Predator.
As Predators don't anticipate parents studying them and their ways, use this as a rare opportunity to study a sophisticated predator's posts, how his mind works, how he artfully manipulates certain naive women, Survivors, and young people... grooming them... and when possible.. recruiting them into some of the following activities... where they can be directly accessed.
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Take some time to read a likely Predator's online posts.
Think strategically, in terms of why he is posting what he is posting.... in order to gain an understanding of how the Predators operate online, and employ a high degree of sophistication. Look for how they manipulate some with whom they interact, while establish "collaborative relationships" with others.
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Take time to follow the online threads (conversations) of a likely online Predator.
Look at the Twitter pages of those with whom he interacts… and you will start to see with whom he harmonizes (such as Furries, zoophiles [those into bestiality]), and men who lust after sexually defiling kids (they spin it in terms of being "attracted to kids"). Look at the pages of those MAPs with whom he agrees and defends. As you read his posts (and the posts of the other MAPs and Furries with whom he harmonizes), ask yourself the simply question, "What kind of man would act this way,?" and "What kind of man would be so focused on defending deviance?" What kind of man do you think? I know what the men in my former prison sex offender treatment groups would say? But, after reading through the following posts, what do you say?
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Take some time to read how Predators will endeavor to sound authoritative.
As you read through Mr. Hamburger's Twitter page (and the others who appear to be aligned with him in toward rebranding deviance and pedophilia), watch for how he will cherry pick pieces of information in order to strategically spin a narrative, or how he will try to make the case that he has supposed previously undisclosed information... counting on the average person not to connect the dots... and not to question why an anonymous man... who hide 100% of his identity should NOT be taken seriously, and should NOT be viewed as reliable.
Parents, this is the extent to which Sophisticated Predators will go to ensure their victims remain silent. Notice the intensity, energy, and determination the likes of a Mr. Hamburger exerts in debating me, in dogging my steps... can you only imagine what would happen if he did that to an actual victim... or how many time he has already? While for me, it is "just another day at the office," for I deal with such Predators on a regular basis... have honed my ability to "play the game" with them through over a decade of forensic work within the toughest of prison environments... with all kinds of criminal minds. However, for the vast majority of sexual abuse Survivors, being subjected a Sophisticated Psychopath's psychological tactics is their worst fear... and why so many remain silent. They know how deceptive and tricky the Predator can be, for that is how he fooled her in the first place. It is the fear of a such false narratives being employed against them by such a Sophisticated Predators that keeps so many victims from speaking up in churches... which enables such Predators to remain at large, to continue perpetrating, and to continue create new victims. And, that is why churches are filled with Survivors who elected never to say a word... lest the Sophisticated Predator begin his campaign of smear and manipulation against them. Such sophisticated Predators know this, and that is why he employs it with such relish. And, as he is not constrained by conscience, when a survivor does muster the courage to speak out about their abusers, the Predator can easily manipulate naive members of a congregation, leaving the survivor shell shocked and disillusioned... and silent.
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The more time you spend doing the research into such sophisticated Predators, the more you’ll begin to see some very eye opening themes emerge… themes which paint a picture of just how dedicated these predators are to hiding their identities while protecting the rights of men who want to “show some love” to kids. As you go on to such Twitter pages:
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look for how Sophisticated Predators employ the best debate strategies and techniques... especially how they will sound so definite and authoritative... while hiding 100% of their identity. Watch for the adept use of time-tested predator debate techniques. One of their favorite technique is to state something as fact (as though a man who hides his identity and defends deviance should be viewed as credible?).
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Look for how Sophisticated Predators utilize "the Big Lie" theory... making big whoppers, and expecting people to take them at face value. In fact, Mr. Hamburger is proficient with that technique... where he uses one of the oldest tricks one the manipulator's bag of tricks, 'I have reliable anonymous sources who've definitively told me... .' Another will be in the form of, 'You must believe me because I sound so emphatic... but, I can deny anything at will and you must believe me, because I sound so emphatic.'
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Look for how the Sophisticated Predators will employ "The Grand Denial" technique... which all Predators will employ when they've been countered with facts, and are losing control of the narrative. Mr. Hamburger has taken his cue from another adept Predator... as you can see how effectively they can combine multiple techniques... both the Big Lie and the Grand Denial... as they love playing people for fools. One type of Predator will say, "I NEVER had sex with that woman", while the other kind... the kind that hide 100% of their identity and defend men who get naked with kids... will say to those who don't know any better,
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"I don't even know what he's talking about, as I would NEVER do such a thing!"
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"I've NEVER been kicked out of prison sex offender treatment!"
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"I have NEVER looked at porn, let alone child porn!"
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"I have no idea where that child porn came from that the cops found on my computer!"
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"No, it's NOT wrong for grown men to get naked with other people's kids..."
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"I know what it looks like, but it's NOT that!"
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How many times do you think I heard such words and saw such posturing from the likes of a Mr. Hamburger during Sex Offender Treatment? And, we are to believe Predators such as him... because they say so with such emphasis... and a finger wag... despite all the evidence to the contrary? Seriously?
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Look for how the likes of Mr. Hamburger will use his page toward:
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normalizing porn-fueled deviance,
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legitimizing "non-contact" pedophilia (which is simply a lie, for any man who self-identifies as a pedophile is already steeped in child rape-porn, yet simply hadn't been busted for it yet), and how it's possible for men to lust after kids without accessing child porn. They love playing mental gymnastics about the difference between "non-offending" pedophiles and those who offend. Yet, they secretly know that the only difference between the two groups is simply who managed to avoid detection vs. those who finally do get busted by law enforcement.
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Pushing the man-made psychological deception of MAP (Minor Attracted men,
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Suggesting that the 'P' (Pedophile) should be added to LGQT+ as a "sexual orientations", so that such predators can be granted civil rights protection... so that Pedophiles can avoid prison time,
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Vigorously defend deviant activities where porn-fueled Predatory men and Registered Sex Offenders can easily hide 100% of this identity by playing dress-up (such as in big Furrie costumes, or in Drag), in order to gain direct access to kids.
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As you are on Mr. Hamburger's Twitter site, and those of other such Sophisticated Predators, see if you can discern the extent to which you see some KEY CLINICAL INDICATORS OF A SOPHISTICATED SEXUAL PREDATOR:
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Degree of Persistence
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Degree of Intensity
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Degree of Focus
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Degree of Intentionality
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Degree of Perseverance
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Degree of Fixation
As you examine such a likely Predator's page, keep asking yourself the question, "Does a normal man do this?" Why? Because the one thing Predators aims to do, is to get normal adults to dispense with their intuitive response... to discount their natural ability to sense when something strange is unfolding in front of them, especially when it comes to men who show an unusual degree of interest in matters pertaining to normalizing and defending sexual deviance. Learn to spot the Predator's artful use of The Big Lie and The Grand Denial, as that will enable you to better protect kids from the likes of such sophisticated Predators when you encounter one.
The following clips will show just how adept such Sophisticated Predators are at "thinking on their feet," at "turning on a dime," at being able to sound authoritative and believable, with the uniquely developed skill of looking you right in the eye while lying boldly to your face. And, even after they are busted with the mounting evidence of their own lies, they will still try to spin the narrative again back to where they are viewed as believable.
men who normalize "Zoophiles" (as you'll read in some of the Twitter threads below, they have rebranded Beastiality is a bit too much for the public to currently accept), all of which are key child grooming techniques as disclosed by the more sophisticated pedophiles in my former prison Sex Offender Treatment groups. Follow the friends he keeps, and it will soon become apparent why Mr. Hamburger hides his identity and uses sophisticated computer technology to avoid being tracked by federal law enforcement.
And, most importantly, it is vital to understand that it is just these kinds of Predators, men like Mr. Hamburger, who hide their identities online by night (and by day)... who will very often be involved a church... as churches make the easiest of hunting grounds for such Sophisticated Predators. And, it is just such Predators who can easily embed themselves within churches, schools, and other organizations where children are most plentiful and most easily accessed. As you begin your online detective work, watch for posts where such men go out of their way to assert they doesn't attend church, for they certainly don't want church goers to begin to become alerted to the methods of such Predators. Rest assured, the more they deny any interest in church on their social media pages, the more you can count on such a denial simply being a smoke screen. Since no one knows their true identity, they inevitably are leading a double-life... or they wouldn't need to hide their real name. In reality, he likely holds a position as a deacon, an elder, or could actually be on church staff. In Mr. Hamburger's case, he knows that I know... and that is why he is so insistent, as he his best tactics simply don't work with me... for I've seen them all revealed over the years I have been providing sex offender treatment. Truth be told... he, and all other Sophisticate Predators, simply love playing trust people for fools. He is the classic wolf in sheep's clothing... which is why he also loves using such imagery on social media on one of his other accounts. And, he thought I didn't recognize him from his Furry Twitter page, eh?
Parent, as you begin your investigation of these Twitter pages, be mindful that such Predators inevitably have multiple accounts, change their Twitter names and pictures, and will do whatever it takes to silence those they deem to be threats… those who would dare to unmask the ruse they have carefully crafted and pushed out into the public... the false man-made psychobabble and psychological myth of “non-offending” pedophiles… and will even issue actual threats toward them. As you will see, Mr. Hamburger started out as @BepisDrink (any guess what that might stand for in pedophile lingo?), then change to various versions of Burger-mister-Mister-burger. He simply didn’t count on my taking screen shots of his creepy threats before he could remove them. Hmmm... are we beginning to see an underlying these... that such men are deviant and creepy... in addition to being Predatorial?
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So, parents... use this most unique opportunity to learn the ways of the sophisticated online Predator. As you read his posts, you will gain a sense of just how driven such a deviant man is, both in terms of hiding his real identity (Red Flag), and silencing anyone who would dare reveal the truth about men who claim to be "non-offending" pedophiles (Red Flag). They must guard their carefully spun narrative, lest the public learn the truth about them... that they lust after kids because they've fueled their lust for kids by secretly consuming years worth of progressively deviant porn. That is why the likes of a Mr. Hamburger (as I affectionately refer to him) is so intent, as he is driven to maintain the myth of "Minor Attraction."
As a point of interest, Mr. Hamburger obviously didn't count on me remembering him. However, given the extent to which he has posted about me... and his extensive interactions with me... and his unique focus on my work within the PA Dept. of Corrections... his attempts to spin the details related to my Sex Offender Treatment work in prison (he knows enough to sound intelligent, yet misses basic pieces of information), while still trying to sound authoritative... it all came together... and all his Red Flags made sense... and I have a fairly good hunch who he is... and he likely knows it, as he was very likely a uniquely deviant & sophisticated Child Sexual Predator I had in one my groups... who was failed out of prison sex offender treatment for:
* failure to admit and
* failure to take responsibility for his grooming and molesting of young kids (that is why he seems to know a fair bit about prison sex offender treatment... except that the PA Dept. of Corrections doesn't use a plethysmograph and he secretly is thankful for that).
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As you can probably imagine, the men who I ended up failing out of prison sex offender treatment don't forget, as they then must remain in prison longer than they had anticipated (as they must wait months to take another Sex Offender Treatment group). On occasion, one of those offenders would demonstrate a uniquely defiant attitude, and would vow to "even the score." The more Mr. Hamburger ran his mouth and debated with me via Twitter, the more it came together in terms of which of the deviant child predators he was... given that he uses the phrases and logic now and he did then. And, I remembered how he, like the vast majority of Sophisticated Predators, inevitably tried to play the MAPs card even back then, but it didn't fly, given he was arrested with significant amounts of child-rape porn. But, regrettably, he knows that I am bound by limits of confidentiality (having had him in one of my treatment groups)... so, he knows I am bound by confidential since he was in my treatment group, lest he finally have something with which he could take to my licensing board. No doubt, that empowered him over the past years and a half, adding to his bravado.
But, the one thing I can tell you... from his continued defense of men who like to get naked with other people's kids... Mr. Hamburger simply didn't learn much from the brief time he was in my sex offender group, did he? And, that is, no doubt, why he is so driven to defend the deviant naked men who are grooming kids (as you will see as you in select posts as you continue to scroll down). And, it is that profound degree of willfulness and deviance, which manifested in:
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his "refusal to admit",
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his maintaining an unbelievable story of how "it wasn't his child-rape porn the police found",
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his persistence in maintaining a bold and defiant posture,
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his unending proclivity toward debating with me in group why "from his perspective" that there is no problem when men, who are "Minor Attracted" (men who lust after kids), "simply get naked with other people's kids, as long as there's nothing sexual going on",
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his professional-grade manipulation by repeatedly and emphatically asserting, "I know what it looks like, but it's really not that."
all of which combined to get him kicked out of sex offender treatment group. And, that is why he hides his identity online.
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How am I so sure it's him? Well, as he has continued his personal "mission" unabated since Dec. 2018, I've had plenty of time to analyze his writing style, logic, degrees of intensity, degrees of deviance, and degrees of fixation when someone, such as Mr. BepisDrink/Veermaster:
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is unusually focused on you ('fixated would be the clinical term),
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is unusually fixated on researching every inch of your personal and work-related background (yet avoids paying for a simple background check) ,
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is unusually intent upon orchestrating a social media campaign against your professional license (wasn't quite successful as he has hoped),
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is unusually driven to get you repeatedly banned from Twitter and Facebook,
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Is unusually bold, by pinning to the top of his Twitter page since Dec. 2018,
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is unusually persistent, as he tries to track where you will be speaking so as to disrupt the event.
The reality is, when such Predators start to get sloppy, they begin to think that no one will ever figure out who it is behind the curtain. Like in the Wizard of Oz, they become overly confident, assuming that their smoke and mirrors, their repeated use of emphatic assertions and threats, will always work in keeping their identity hidden. However, as pride goes before a fall, that is inevitably how the best of them get busted for their online activities.
As was true in terms of how he acted in my former sex offender treatment group... Mr. Hamburger did play "the game " well, but he was not quite the chess master that he fancied himself. But, I must admit, even I didn't expect him to become so sloppy... and so blatantly creepy... as to go hunting for my son's Facebook photo... then to use it for his own Twitter page picture. But, that simply speaks to the darkness that resides within hi, and the others with whom he associates online. However, his track record of using the photos of other people's kids remains consistent. It's not the first time he has used the photo of someone's kid for his own, and likely won't be the last. No wonder @Bepisdrink, @HVeermaster, @VHrrmeistrr... or whatever else he'll change it to next... while still promoting his personal #BringUhlerDown campaign (wow... how's that for a kind of 'Fatal Attraction' fixation?)... he still hides his identity, eh? Hmmm... from the look of things, even among the few followers he has, concerns are no doubt arising given his pattern of behavior. Some obviously thought that his use of a photo of another person's kid was simply over the top and way too creepy... as it appears as a few "unfollowed" him as a result. Yikes... you know it's bad when even deviant people are uncomfortable with his behavior.
Oh, no doubt, he'll have some way of trying to explain why he would use my son's Facebook photo for his own Twitter page... and it will consist of some variation of "I know what it looks like, but trust me, it's not what it looks like." But, in Mr. Hamburger's case, it is exactly what it looks like. And, it is Creepy! In fact, combined with the following posts, his creepy predator profile becomes pretty clear, eh?​
Parents, though reading through the above information, sample Twitter threads and posts may likely have been unsettling, it is imperative to understand the wiles and ways of Sophisticated Predators and their Red Flag Characteristics to ensure you are better prepared to protect your kids from them, whether they are online, at church, or wherever kids can be found to congregate.
Take some time doing some digging for yourself, use Mr. Hamburger's Twitter account as a starting point. Look at who he follows, and who follows him, and click on those pages, and see where they lead. His page, or some of the others you noted as you read through this article, can serve as a portal for you, as you do a deep dive for yourself into the various facets of deviant world of men who claim to be "Minor Attracted." They are fueled by porn, are given over to a depraved mind, and are driven to find ways of accessing other people's kids. As such, we had better get to know them, as well as they know us, so that we can better protect kids from them.
