A Kent County man accused of possessing thousands of images of child porn and distributing a manifesto on how to molest children is out on bond and under house detention at his home in Alto.
We wanted to learn more about that manifesto and what parents need to know about those who are sharing information on how to target children.
The FBI reported in court documents that Jeffrey Marchione’s online chat logs revealed he “electronically sent a file to another person, Handbook 4 Child Lover.docx, that was a manifesto of over 150 pages describing how to find and molest a child without the child telling anyone about it.”
Court documents go on to say that, “The document instructs people, specifically men, to become mentors, coaches or counselors in their local community to find a child to molest.”
Investigators said Marchione then told the person online that, “he should become a Boy Scout leader or tutor to find a child to molest.”
“I know that to many people that are hearing this for the first time it`s very shocking,” said Mari Anne Boykin, Clinical Supervisor and Interview Specialist at the Children`s Assessment Center.
Boykin works with children everyday who have been abused.
She said the staff members at the Children’s Assessment Center are familiar with the how-to guides that can surface in abuse cases, like the manifesto.
The case serves as a point of awareness for parents who may only be thinking that danger comes from strangers.
“I think what this serves to do is really underscore the sad reality that this can happen anywhere at any time and we can`t identify perpetrators based on what they look like,” said Boykin.
To prevent something from happening to your children, she says communication is key regarding boundaries and what is appropriate.
“This doesn’t have to be a sit down conversation,” said Boykin. “You can teach children in a variety of ways about boundaries, about bodies, and that you are a safe person to tell.”
She said many experiences in the home can be teachable moments. For instance, a tickle fight can be an opportunity to let a youngster know it’s OK to say “No”.
“Never too young. With the smaller children, you can teach them simply that their body is their body. You can use times when you’re tickling them and they tell you to stop, and you stop, and you say OK, stop means stop, no means no, so that you’re teaching them that it’s OK,” said Boykin.
She also suggests providing a safe environment for conversation which is without judgment.
“The best way for a parent to establish a safe environment for a child to disclose something like this is to start early and to keep open doors,” said Boykin. “An environment of safety isn’t just talking about sexual abuse issues, it’s talking about lots of different life issues and letting the child know that they can come to you with concerns, that you are there, that you can listen in a non-judgmental manner. Especially for older kids, that’s really important.”
She also advises that parents ask lots of questions.
“Follow your gut feeling and if you feel like something might be wrong, trust it,” said Boykin. “You don’t owe anyone an explanation for that. Your job as a parent is to keep your child safe and it’s OK. You can find another counselor. You can pull your child out of a sport. If you don’t want to do that, be the parent that’s around.”
She said anytime you need advice, the staff at the assessment center in Grand Rapids can offer support or answer questions.
Boykin said you can call the staff at 616-336-5160 or you can gather more information online at the assessment center’s website at:
