It's something most parents think could never happen to their child: sexual assault. But on Thursday, three people were charged with first degree child sexual assault in Brown County for three separate incidents.
The scariest part? All of the alleged predators were people the children involved knew and trusted.
Sadly, that's very common for child sexual assault victims, according to experts.
"Sexual abuse is about opportunity, and if you have access to a child, then there’s obviously opportunity to abuse that child," said Susan Lockwood, Director of Willow Tree Cornerstone Child Advocacy Center. "Most children, that’s who they’re around."
One incident involved a young Green Bay boy abused three times by a close family friend over the span of a year, starting when the boy was around 6 years old, according to court documents. Colin Summers, 36, of Green Bay, who allegedly abused the boy, had known the family for several years and was invited to family birthday parties and other events.
"Almost always there’s a grooming period beforehand," said Lockwood. "That is because the offender is sometimes trying to test out the child to see if this is a child that won’t tell or will be more compliant."
That "grooming" was part of an alleged incident involving another man charged in Brown County court this week.
The man allegedly groped his girlfriend's 13-year-old daughter multiple times, court documents said. Jorge Medina-Patino, 54, of Green Bay was someone who had known the victim's family for a long time, and even helped the girl get a part-time job cleaning offices with him, according to the criminal complaint.
The alleged predator first would massage the victim, but then the touching escalated, the complaint said. That's how many predators operate, according to Lockwood.
"Part of the grooming in the next steps are to accidentally touch the child, except it’s not really accidental," said Lockwood. "Based on the child’s reaction, the person might decide if they can go further or not."
It's also a test to see if the child will tell anyone, Lockwood explained.
In the third case in Brown County court Thursday, a father allegedly abused his young daughter in his Green Bay apartment.
The alleged abuse did not come to light until the girl told her mother. However, she told her mother her father told her to keep it a "secret," court documents said. NBC26 is not naming the man as to not identify the victim.
These three cases highlight why it's important for parents to have open communication with their children, Lockwood explained.
"Talk to your child about parts of their body that are private," said Lockwood.
Parents should also teach their children to share information with them, whether it's about sexual abuse or any other situation, like a stranger approaching them outside. That way when something does happen, a child knows they're supposed to tell someone.
"The offender is trying to get the silence of the child," Lockwood said.
Finally, parents should have awareness, Lockwood stressed.
"A lot of times people wear blinders, and so they just need to be aware that there are some people out in the world who are going to hurt children," she explained.
For more information on resources available to children and families, visit the Willow Tree Cornerstone Child Advocacy Center's website here.
If you have any reason to believe your child is being abused, call your local police department.
