Real Stories. Real Advice. Real Moms.
A Touch of Takiela: How Can We Protect Our Children?
This morning my sister emailed me a disturbing article that literally made me sick to my stomach. I want to pose the question: We have almost 500 members in our group, surely one of you can advise us on how we can do our part in helping to put an end to this kind of abuse. Maybe someone is a social worker and deals with these types of situations on a regular basis or maybe one of you knows of or belongs to an organization that wants to spread the word about this type of crime and how we can prevent it. Also, how we can help if we suspect a child is being abused.
Please ladies share your thoughts.
This story is almost 2 years old, however in our society things like this happen daily.
I warn you to read with caution.
The baby’s birth at University Hospital on Nov. 4 was routine.
What wasn’t routine was the fact the infant’s mother was just 10, impregnated by her mother’s boyfriend.
Now, social workers are trying to figure out how to unravel the mess involving one of the youngest children ever to give birth in Greater Cincinnati.
Prosecutors were in court Wednesday to discuss what to do with both children, the newborn and her now 11-year-old mom.
The court session in Hamilton County Dependency Court on Wednesday was primarily a status session on how both the baby and young mother are doing.
At the same time Wednesday, Lockland police were in Columbus talking to a convict whose DNA shows he’s the baby girl’s father.
Michael Chaffer, 40, is accused of impregnating his girlfriend’s 10-year-old daughter, according to Hamilton County prosecutors.
The baby’s birth set off an investigation by the Hamilton County Department of Job and Family Services and stunned social workers because the baby’s mother is so young.
The baby has been taken from her mother and put in a foster home while the child-mother is now being taken care of by a relative. Her mother is not allowed to see the baby and can only see her daughter when supervised by social workers.
Lawyers jammed the courtroom Wednesday, representing the prosecutor’s office and all three generations of the family.
The girl’s mother was warned not to let any adult men in her Lockland home while caseworkers tried to track down the infant’s father.
Paternity was not determined until Wednesday morning.
Prosecutors say the girl’s mother ignored that order to keep adult men away from her child, and when a caseworker made a surprise visit to her Lockland home Jan. 4, they found Chaffer.
Assistant Hamilton County Prosecutor Lee Slocum said Chaffer faces criminal charges for impregnating and sexually molesting a girl under the age of 13.
Lockland Police Chief James Toles said two officers were interviewing Chaffer on Wednesday in a Columbus prison, where he is serving a one-year sentence on an unrelated charge.
Sex with a child under 13 is considered statutory rape, a crime punishable with a life prison term.
As JFS investigated the case, several relatives of the 11-year-old girl contacted the agency saying Chaffer sexually abused the girl for a “period of time.”
The 11-year-old girl’s mother is also under investigation, Slocum said, for allowing her daughter to be abused.
Job and Family Services workers can’t remember a case in which a girl so young gave birth.
“Unfortunately, sexual abuse is pretty common in the cases we see,” said JFS Director Moira Weir. “But it is highly unusual and extremely sad to see a case where a 10-year-old becomes pregnant.
“This is an example of why everyone in the community needs to be extremely vigilant about watching for the signs of abuse and notifying us through our 241-KIDS hotline,” she added. “The sooner we can intervene, the sooner we can make sure the child is in a safe situation.”
Hamilton County prosecutors want a court designation that the 11-year-old girl was abused. They allege the 11-year-old’s mother failed to care for her by allowing Chaffer near her.
Prosecutors also want to take the infant away from the mother because the sixth-grade student is too young to care for the baby.
As she waited for the hearing to start, the child, who was wearing faded jeans and a T-shirt hoody with her hair tied into a ponytail, sat next to her mother. She chatted about school, music and Disney video games.
During the hearing, as prosecutors and attorneys discussed the case and the possibility that the 11-year-old could lose her baby, she wiped away tears with the palms of her hands.
At Wednesday’s hearing, Magistrate Charles Milazzo determined the girl could visit her baby at least twice a week.
But he said the 11-year-old girl’s mother may see her only if social workers can supervise the visits, and that she may not see the baby.
Authorities became aware of the birth after the 11-year-old girl delivered the baby at University Hospital. Hospital officials notified JFS because the mother was so young.
The 11-year-old girl and the infant were allowed to remain in the mother’s home while JFS investigated the case. Two other men were eliminated as the baby’s father before Chaffer’s DNA was tested.
When the caseworker found Chaffer in the home Jan. 4 – a violation of JFS’ order that no men be in the home – they arrested him on a charge of obstruction of official business.
Court records show Chaffer slammed the door on the officer and refused to open it.
Chaffer pleaded guilty to that charge the next day, which violated his probation on an earlier drug charge. As a result he was sent to prison for one year.
JFS immediately took the 11-year-old girl and infant from the home.
Please ladies share your thoughts.
This story is almost 2 years old, however in our society things like this happen daily.
I warn you to read with caution.
The baby’s birth at University Hospital on Nov. 4 was routine.
What wasn’t routine was the fact the infant’s mother was just 10, impregnated by her mother’s boyfriend.
Now, social workers are trying to figure out how to unravel the mess involving one of the youngest children ever to give birth in Greater Cincinnati.
Prosecutors were in court Wednesday to discuss what to do with both children, the newborn and her now 11-year-old mom.
The court session in Hamilton County Dependency Court on Wednesday was primarily a status session on how both the baby and young mother are doing.
At the same time Wednesday, Lockland police were in Columbus talking to a convict whose DNA shows he’s the baby girl’s father.
Michael Chaffer, 40, is accused of impregnating his girlfriend’s 10-year-old daughter, according to Hamilton County prosecutors.
The baby’s birth set off an investigation by the Hamilton County Department of Job and Family Services and stunned social workers because the baby’s mother is so young.
The baby has been taken from her mother and put in a foster home while the child-mother is now being taken care of by a relative. Her mother is not allowed to see the baby and can only see her daughter when supervised by social workers.
Lawyers jammed the courtroom Wednesday, representing the prosecutor’s office and all three generations of the family.
The girl’s mother was warned not to let any adult men in her Lockland home while caseworkers tried to track down the infant’s father.
Paternity was not determined until Wednesday morning.
Prosecutors say the girl’s mother ignored that order to keep adult men away from her child, and when a caseworker made a surprise visit to her Lockland home Jan. 4, they found Chaffer.
Assistant Hamilton County Prosecutor Lee Slocum said Chaffer faces criminal charges for impregnating and sexually molesting a girl under the age of 13.
Lockland Police Chief James Toles said two officers were interviewing Chaffer on Wednesday in a Columbus prison, where he is serving a one-year sentence on an unrelated charge.
Sex with a child under 13 is considered statutory rape, a crime punishable with a life prison term.
As JFS investigated the case, several relatives of the 11-year-old girl contacted the agency saying Chaffer sexually abused the girl for a “period of time.”
The 11-year-old girl’s mother is also under investigation, Slocum said, for allowing her daughter to be abused.
Job and Family Services workers can’t remember a case in which a girl so young gave birth.
“Unfortunately, sexual abuse is pretty common in the cases we see,” said JFS Director Moira Weir. “But it is highly unusual and extremely sad to see a case where a 10-year-old becomes pregnant.
“This is an example of why everyone in the community needs to be extremely vigilant about watching for the signs of abuse and notifying us through our 241-KIDS hotline,” she added. “The sooner we can intervene, the sooner we can make sure the child is in a safe situation.”
Hamilton County prosecutors want a court designation that the 11-year-old girl was abused. They allege the 11-year-old’s mother failed to care for her by allowing Chaffer near her.
Prosecutors also want to take the infant away from the mother because the sixth-grade student is too young to care for the baby.
As she waited for the hearing to start, the child, who was wearing faded jeans and a T-shirt hoody with her hair tied into a ponytail, sat next to her mother. She chatted about school, music and Disney video games.
During the hearing, as prosecutors and attorneys discussed the case and the possibility that the 11-year-old could lose her baby, she wiped away tears with the palms of her hands.
At Wednesday’s hearing, Magistrate Charles Milazzo determined the girl could visit her baby at least twice a week.
But he said the 11-year-old girl’s mother may see her only if social workers can supervise the visits, and that she may not see the baby.
Authorities became aware of the birth after the 11-year-old girl delivered the baby at University Hospital. Hospital officials notified JFS because the mother was so young.
The 11-year-old girl and the infant were allowed to remain in the mother’s home while JFS investigated the case. Two other men were eliminated as the baby’s father before Chaffer’s DNA was tested.
When the caseworker found Chaffer in the home Jan. 4 – a violation of JFS’ order that no men be in the home – they arrested him on a charge of obstruction of official business.
Court records show Chaffer slammed the door on the officer and refused to open it.
Chaffer pleaded guilty to that charge the next day, which violated his probation on an earlier drug charge. As a result he was sent to prison for one year.
JFS immediately took the 11-year-old girl and infant from the home.
Add a Comment
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Comment by Sara Broers on November 13, 2009 at 2:07pm - This is very,very sad and disturbing. We, in our society, really need to step up to the plate for our kids! By being involved with our kids we can do our best to protect our own kids. Unfortunately, many of the kids that need us, do not have parents that support them or have any clue what is going on in their lives! A few years ago, I had a neighbor girl (6 yrs. old) come to me and she wanted me to call her DHS caregiver- I did and the lady that I spoke with said that this little girl could not speak to anyone there. I asked how I can help her and the response was, "Is she in physical danger?" Well, I could not see anything, but when she was asking for help! There must've been something going on- I hung up, extremely frustrated. I called the police- and they went to the girl's Mother and just made sure things were ok. The officer told me until somebody hurt her or she had physical injuries nothing could be done. This little girl ran the streets from sun up until sun down when school was not in session- Today she is doing ok- but struggles with the law! Maybe if the system would have offered more assistance to her when she was 6- she may have been down a different path! I did what I could- and she knows- to this day- that she can call me for anything! Many adults are busy trying to take care of their own- Very, very troubling issue! Pray, pray, pray!
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Comment by Takiela on November 11, 2009 at 9:07am - Peggy it is sad. I agree with you too! Surely there were other adults in this child's life that could have helped her. If the mother wasn't protecting her then you would think other adults would jump in...it kinda falls into the category "it takes a village...." We have to do better not only with our own children, but with any child. My heart bleeds for this little girl and all the children who are being abused. I want to help but I'm don't know how to go about helping. I'm going to do some research and next week I'll talk about how we all can help.
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Comment by Takiela on November 11, 2009 at 8:58am
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Suzette how right you are...you just keep bringing up some great points! You're on a roll lady! LOL!
I guess it's just one of those things that must keep us on our knees. Lord have mercy.
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Comment by Peggy Gorman on November 10, 2009 at 10:42pm - This is so sad. Where were the girl's teachers ,neighbors ,anyone that could help her . I am stunned that everyone turned a blind eye. What is wrong with us!
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Comment by Suzette on November 10, 2009 at 3:34pm - for me, its more a question of explaining the why of being stranger conscious. i insist that strangers can do bad things, but she doesn't have the concept of bad things yet. she is 10 and doesn't know the horrors out there. I don't want to "tough love" her by showing it to her, but she doesn't understand my message. She is the kind of person that will befriend anybody. A wonderful gift when you are an adult, but dangerous as a child.
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Comment by Takiela on November 10, 2009 at 1:14pm
- No way are you naive Suzette. You're absolutely right! You've raised another great point: things happen inside and outside of the church environment.We stay actively involved with our kids lives too. I think you have to because if you don't stay involved it leaves a greater opportunity for a predator to attack. However, there is a fine line between over protective & protective. How do we find that delicate balance?
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Comment by Suzette on November 10, 2009 at 12:42pm
- our girls are maturing much earlier than we did, and are being exposed to a much more in-your-face world these days. they are savvy and looking and acting much older than they really are. I think, for myself, that my dd is sheltered more because of the world we live in, We go everywhere together, and I am present for the activities as much as possible, other than school. Raising her within a church family will hopefully help, but is certainly no guarantee. I, personally, was inappropriately approached at an early age from within the boundaries of the church. I think that we need to show more love that is appropraite. As volunteers, we aren't supposed to touch the children, yet that is what so many of them need. Children need hugs, they need body contact that is healthy and without implications. Maybe I am naive.
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Comment by Takiela on November 10, 2009 at 12:00pm
- I know Marlene, I was floored.
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Comment by Marlene Becker on November 10, 2009 at 11:18am
- wow, saddest thing in the whole word,utterly speechless !
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