Pedophile Pediatricians Remain in Shadows

(CBS)  The case of Dr. Earl Bradley follows a pattern: whispers in the community, sporadic complaints to authority, and no action.

"She just came out and said, 'Why did Dr. Bradley kiss my tongue?'" said one mother, who called the police that day.

That day was five years ago, when her daughter was three years old. She is one of half-a-dozen parents CBS News interviewed who know their children were molested and asked their identities be concealed.

"The state prosecutors felt that there wasn't enough evidence to charge him or to go in with a search warrant," said a mother. "It was devastating."

The shock and anger that has cast a dark cloud over this town is not confined to Lewes, Delaware, reports CBS News chief legal correspondent Jan Crawford. In doctor's offices in other towns in other cities across America there are predators that parents trust to heal their children, not to hurt them.

Over the last decade alone, in states across the country, nearly 20 pediatricians have been charged with abusing children. Those are the criminal cases, but most complaints never get past state medical boards.

Pediatrician Eli Newberger is a professor at Harvard Medical School. He compares pediatric child abuse to the priest scandal that rocked the Catholic Church.

"We're dealing, I think, with a systemic problem, in which there is a reluctance to act on the part of colleagues for the various business and collegial reasons, and an organized cover-up," Newberger said.

Just last October, Michael Roy Sharpe was charged with raping a patient - a teenage girl. He had been fired from two hospitals in Tennessee after accusations of sexual misconduct, but he was never disciplined by medical authorities and set up practice in Alabama.

Colleagues of Dr. Robert Marion in South Carolina allegedly had heard complaints about him abusing children, but they simply asked him to leave the practice. He moved into another office in the same building and kept many of his same patients. They never knew about his predatory behavior until he was charged with abusing four children.

"If the perpetrator is one of their colleagues and the reporting would ruin that man's life and career, they would much sooner not report even if it endangered children," Newberger said.

"There is a code of silence," said attorney Craig Karsnitz. "And I think that code was upheld to the nth degree in this case."

Karsnitz, Bruce Hudson and Ben Castle represent parents whose children were allegedly molested by Bradley. They say doctors and nurses at Baybees Pediatrics and at the local medical center knew or suspected for years that Bradley was abusing patients.

"If just one could've stepped forward, then all of the girls that were victims after that could have been spared," Hudson said.

Bradley's alleged crimes range from oral sex to rape. His alleged victims were as young as two years old. His office building had an elaborate videotaping system. Police have shown parents still photos pulled from the videos to identify the 103 victims. Child advocates hope the Delaware case will raise awareness about a problem hidden for far too long.

[anime1978]

this is very wromg for a doctor to do this to a child or anyone theres probally more victims than 103 children what a sick monster person this shouldn't have happened to these boys and girls. i hope these kids aren't emotionally scared for life i hope, i hope all his victims heal. there may be more victims in other states

[MenInMyTown]

Pray for those kids.

My name is Keith Smith. I was abducted, beaten and raped by a stranger. It wasn't a neighbor, a coach, a relative, a family friend or teacher. It was a recidivist pedophile predator who spent time in prison for previous sex crimes; an animal hunting for victims in the quiet suburbs of Lincoln, Rhode Island.

I was able to identify the guy and the car he was driving. He was arrested and indicted but never went to trial. His trial never took place because he was brutally beaten to death in Providence before his court date. 34 years later, no one has ever been charged with the crime.

In the time between the night of my assault and the night he was murdered, I lived in fear. I was afraid he was still around town. Afraid he was looking for me. Afraid he would track me down and kill me. The fear didn?t go away when he was murdered. Although he was no longer a threat, the simple life and innocence of a 14-year-old boy was gone forever. Carefree childhood thoughts replaced with the unrelenting realization that my world wasn?t a safe place. My peace shattered by a horrific criminal act of sexual violence.

Over the past 34 years, I?ve been haunted by horrible, recurring memories of what he did to me. He visits me in my sleep. There have been dreams?nightmares actually?dozens of them, sweat inducing, yelling-in-my-sleep nightmares filled with images and emotions as real as they were when it actually happened. It doesn?t get easier over time. Long dead, he still visits me, silently sneaking up from out of nowhere when I least expect it. From the grave, he sits by my side on the couch every time the evening news reports a child abduction or sex crime. I don?t watch America?s Most Wanted or Law and Order SVU, because the stories are a catalyst, triggering long suppressed emotions, feelings, memories, fear and horror. Real life horror stories rip painful suppressed memories out from where they hide, from that recessed place in my brain that stores dark, dangerous, horrible memories. It happened when William Bonin confessed to abducting, raping and murdering 14 boys in California; when Jesse Timmendequas raped and murdered Megan Kanka in New Jersey; when Ben Ownby, missing for four days, and Shawn Hornbeck, missing for four years, were recovered in Missouri.

Despite what happened that night and the constant reminders that continue to haunt me years later, I wouldn?t change what happened. The animal that attacked me was a serial predator, a violent pedophile trolling my neighborhood in Lincoln, Rhode Island looking for young boys. He beat me, raped me, and I stayed alive. I lived to see him arrested, indicted and murdered. It might not have turned out this way if he had grabbed one of my friends or another kid from my neighborhood. Perhaps he?d still be alive. Perhaps there would be dozens of more victims and perhaps he would have progressed to the point of silencing his victims by murdering them.

Out of fear, shame and guilt, I?ve been silent for over three decades, sharing my story with very few people. No more. The silence has to end. What happened to me wasn't my fault. The fear, the shame, the guilt have to go. It?s time to stop keeping this secret from the people closest to me, people I care about, people I love, my long-time friends and my family. It?s time to speak out to raise public awareness of male sexual assault, to let other survivors know that they?re not alone and to help survivors of rape and violent crime understand that the emotion, fear and memories that may still haunt them are not uncommon to those of us who have shared a similar experience.

My novel, Men in My Town, was inspired by these actual events. Men in My Town is available now at www.**********

For those who suffer in silence, I hope my story brings some comfort, strength, peace and hope.

For additional information, please visit the Men in My Town blog at www.meninmytown.wordpress.com

[garrunae43]

What a perfect choice of employment for any one who has a career in child molestation. So many laws put in place to protect the children, yet these people are still accessing children, whether it be through health, schools, churches, child cares and any other avenue they can muster.

The fact is the world will never be free from child molesters and no matter what laws, punishments or whatever else authorities think is the answer, it will not work.

The only thing we can do as parents is educate our children so it can never happen to them, whether it be from family, friends or strangers, including those in supposed positions of care and protection. This is what I do with my children and it has worked very well.

We make sure that the nobody is not alone with our child, especially Dr's, etc. We're also careful to be behind the curtain with the doctor and child, when the Dr is doing an examination of any kind.

Unfortunately child sex molestation is something that can't be stopped. Sure they can perhaps be slowed down a fraction, by catching the odd few here and there. The fact is though as in this case, how many children are abused before they are caught? The amount of children being abused is so high it is scary.

Since it can't be stopped and there are too many victims suffering the effects of sex abuse, then it is up to others to help them through the trauma and effects they will suffer for the rest of their lives if they don't get help. This site http://www.nomorevictim.com can help them.

[KidsRpeople2]

November 2009 in Murfreesboro, TN there was a Suicide by Pedophile who was training as a pediatric medical assistant after his wife found a video of him having performing sexual acts with a child and a video of a 5-year-old boy being spanked mercilessly as well as evidence of sadastic groups that use corporal punishment (spanking) to sexually exploit children that exist on the inernet.

Physical/Corporal Punishment of Children in Schools is Legal and Practiced in several Tennessee School Districts. Tennessee State Law does NOT require Parental Consent or Notification for Children to be Physically punished at school. Physical/Corporal Punishment is where school employees HIT Children with WOODEN PADDLES to deliberately inflict physical pain intended to punish them.

I am unable to protect my 3 children from witnessing/overhearing classmates being threatened with Physical Punishment (teachers keep wooden paddles in desk drawers and display them as a threat) and Paddled just outside class for minor infractions such as not turning in homework. Then the battered child is further humiliated by immediately facing classmates with red, tear-stained face when they take their seat. My husband and I made a written/verbal presentation to our school board members in April 2008, during "National Child Abuse Prevention and Awareness Month" to Demand they Prohibit Physical/Corporal Punishment of Children in our schools, and to date, 2/2010, we have received no response, no letter, no phone call, they have IGNORED US! U.S. Federal Government and Tennessee State Government Officials have informed us that the very important matter of our children's health and safety in schools is a "Local Issue" left up to UNRESPONSIVE, UNACCOUNTABLE, INDEPENDENT, AUTONOMOUS School District Governing Boards! Corporal Punishment of Children in Schools is ILLEGAL in 30 States!

It is ILLEGAL to beat prisoners!

Corporal Punishment of Children in Schools puts School Districts at risk for lawsuits due to paddling injuries.

February 22, 2010 a Federal Lawsuit was filed in Miss. seeking to ban Corporal Punishment in Schools and also seeking a Declaration that Corporal Punishment in Schools is UNCONSTITUTIONAL!

[patkelly03]

This has to be some of the most irresponsible journalism I have seen since mistakenly tuning into Fox News some months ago. What the media won't stoop to for ratings these days? Did you think this story up all by yourself Jan Crawford or did someone help you come to the totally fabricated conclusion that ?Pedophile Pediatricians Remain in Shadows?. If you want to do a real story based in reality on the particular group of people who statically commit more incidents of sexual abuse up children then your story should be titled: ?Pedophile CBS Reporters Remain in Shadows?. Sorry, I just could not help myself. What I meant to say was ?Pedophile Parents Remain in Shadows?. You see Jan, if you did any real research (hope that?s not too big a word for you) into child sexual abuse you would know that parents are responsible for the far greater majority of sexual abuse against children. Not pediatricians, teachers, priests, scout masters or any other group with direct ties to children. Thanks to your 2nd grade logic that likely appeals to some of your readers you may be fueling the latest witch hunt against imaginary witches. Shame on you Jan Crawford. Shame on your news editor. And shame of CBS News for allowing such garbage to masquerade as news.

[Earlsoutham]

How is this story a witch hunt? She is merely documenting what other media organizations have failed to report- that a large number of pediatricians h ave been busted for pedophilia.

There are dozens and dozens more cases like this that she did not mention.

Given the scope of the Bradley case, she is right to point out the potential red flags with pediatricians.

[smltwnokie]

Seriously, did you actually read what you wrote? Did you actually read the article?

[jakiedoodle-2009]

If you do not take your child to the dentist because of the policy, then do you home school? You cannot be with your child all day at school. I totally agree with protecting children, but also know the child is more than likely to also have an asst./hygeinist in the room as well during dental treatment.

[Earlsoutham]

I am more concerned about children being left alone with child psychiatrists. There have been dozens of cases of pedophile child psychiatrists in recent years. A child is always alone with the child psychiatrist. But they're not always alone with a pediatrician or dentist.

The APA really needs to address the problem of pedophile child psychiatrists, because the problem is on the rise.

[Earlsoutham]

This article left out the most famous pediatrician accused of pedophilia: Dr. Mel Levine, a frequent Oprah guest. 50 men have come forward to say that Levine molested them - both in Massachusetts and North Carolina. A number of victims are suing Levine. Last year, the North Carolina Medical Board took away Levine' right to practice medicine. He can never practice medicine again anywhere in the world.

His sex abuse scandal was on the front page of the New York Times

Levine is still getting hired by unsuspecting school boards in places like Cooperstown, New York to talk about kids. The Board was not apprised of Levine's sex abuse scandal until after he had spoken in Cooperstown. They were very upset that they weren't informed.

[poochie44]

Every pedo should be shot and killed on the spot. There's no use for them.

[patkelly03]

Every poochie44 should be shot and killed on the spot. There's no use for them... Grow a brain will ya?

[retiredgustav]

Hey Poochie44 even the conservative supreme court has ruled that capitol punishment for pedophiles this a bad idea.

[cleric60]

As a medical chaplain, when we allow relatives/family members of the patient in a Code Blue if possible we invite them in to observe our life-saving procedures--when family is present--less law suits.
I think that parents have a right to be present with their children in the dentist office and observe the dental procedures.

[babooph]

My childs DR. is gay,& in no way a molestor,some may confuse the two....