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  • Public Safety
    Mike Mearan Gene Meadows

    Special Edition: Unmasking Southern Ohio’s Human Trafficking Scandal 

    Gene Meadows Mike Mearan

    Gene Meadows: Attorney Turned Alleged Predator 

    Mike Mearan

    The Florida Connection: Who is Albert Schaub? 

    Mike Mearan

    The Kentucky Link: Daren Biggs 

    Mike Mearan

    From Courtrooms to Football Fields: Marc Rash 

    Mike Mearan

    The Keeper of Secrets: Who Hid the Files? 

    Mike Mearan

    To the Victims: We Believe You 

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    Portsmouth Woman Tries “Sovereign Citizen” Defense — Ends Up in Jail Anyway 

    Weird strange news

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    Portsmouth Family Indicted for Shocking Abuse of Corpse Case 

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    BAD BEHAVIOR

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    Scioto County Grand Jury Indictments

    19 New Scioto County Grand Jury Indictments

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    Southern Ohio Medical Center

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    Flying Object From SUV Strikes Woman in Farley Square 

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    Bloody Scene at Dollar General Ends With Hospital Trip 

    Handcuffed and On the Run: Foot Pursuit on Gallia Street 

  • Lawrence County
  • Politics

    Democrats Blast Bryan Davis: “Quit Collecting a Paycheck You’re Not Earning” 

    Robert Horton

    Update in Robert Horton Corruption Case 

    Davis Commish

    No Updates, Just an Empty Seat: Powell and Smith Say Davis Drama is Out of Their Hands

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    Parking, Murals, and an Indicted Commissioner: Sparks Fly at Portsmouth City Manager’s Conference 

    Bryan Davis Due Back In Court October 21 

    Sean Dunne Next Mayor of Portsmouth?

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    confused woman

    Portsmouth Council Weighs Asking Davis to Resign 

    Turning Point USA

    Student Democrats Deny Role in Petition to Ban Turning Point USA at SSU 

    Turning Point USA

    Portsmouth Politics Escalate: SSU Students Petition to Ban Turning Point USA

    Recorder Gary Jenkins

    Scioto County Recorder’s Office Increases Fees 

    Scottie Powell

    Commissioner Powell Responds to Conflict of Interest Questions 

    FOP Endorses Malone, Neff in Portsmouth City Election 

    Bryan Davis

    Where’s Bryan Davis? GOP Says Step Down — Court Says Suspended

    SCDN File Photo

    Where’s Bryan Davis? After Two Missed Meetings, GOP Says It’s Time to Step Down 

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    Exclusive: The Bench Is Back — But the Political Drama Isn’t Over 

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    Scioto County Commissioner Bryan Davis

    Bryan Davis Arraignment Set, New Judge Assigned 

    Bryan Davis

    Why Commissioner Davis Staying in Office Raises Big Problems 

    Scottie Powell

    Powell Calls on Commissioner Davis to Resign 

    Scioto County Bryan Davis Scandal

    🗓 Timeline of a Scandal: How Scioto County’s Economic Development Crisis Unfolded 

  • Feel Good

    Honoring Scioto County’s First Town — and Its First People: New Heritage Trail Sign Dedicated at Earl Thomas Conley Park 

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    How Bowling Can Improve Your Mental Health

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    How To Make Your Daily Driver Feel Like a Sports Car

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    How To Reduce Your Carbon Footprint at Home

    A man sitting in a vehicle is handing over an ID card to a female police officer standing by his window.

    Tips for Staying Calm During Police Encounters

    Cyn Mackley

    Cyn Mackley Channels Haunted Appalachia

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    Shawnee State University SSU

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    BREAKING: Commissioners Make Shocking Decision—Halloween to Remain on Halloween 

    Escape to the Hills: A Summer Reading List Set in Appalachia 

    Scioto County Champs: Lady Trojans and Word Wizards Bring Home the Gold 

    “I Held Those Keys Tight” — One Man’s Harrowing Journey from Addiction to Hope 

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  • Obituaries
    Mary Lou Ratliff

    Mary Lou Ratliff, 90 of Portsmouth

    Gerry Conchita Kazee Mershon Osborne

    Gerry Conchita Kazee Mershon Osborne, 72, of West Portsmouth

    Thomas Marshall Redmon

    Thomas Marshall Redmon, 90 of Portsmouth,

     Larry Randall Williams

     Larry Randall Williams, 82 of West Portsmouth

    Marilyn Rosemary Bailey, 62 of Ironton

    Julia Mae Duke

    Julia Mae Duke, 83 of Piketon

    Dana LaMonte Messer

    Dana LaMonte Messer, 68 of Portsmouth

    Heath Aaron Pollard

    Heath Aaron Pollard, 43 Jackson

    Betty Kathleen Rowe

    Betty Kathleen Rowe, aged 91 of Wheelersburg

    Diana J. Todd

    Diana J. Todd, 81 of Sciotoville

    David W. Bauer

    David W. Bauer, 94 of Wheelersburg

    Dorothy Sue Stringfield

    Dorothy Sue Stringfield, 62 of Portsmouth

    Garry Arnett Hurless

    Garry Arnett Hurless, 83 of Piketon

    William Ratliff

    William C. Ratliff 72, of Portsmouth

    Annetta Collins

    Annetta Collins, 68 of South Webster

    Elizabeth Ann Smith

    Elizabeth Ann Smith, age 62 of New Boston

    Judith Phipps

    Judith Ann (Tackett) Phipps, 84 of Mt. Perry

    Patricia Aileen (White) Attaway

    Patricia Aileen (White) Attaway of Georgia

    Bonnie Lafrida Riddlebarger

    Bonnie Lafrida Riddlebarger, 88 of New Boston

    Fontella Munn

    Fontella Munn, 87 of Lucasville

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Why We Publish Those Awful Abuse Stories?

Cyn Mackley by Cyn Mackley
5 years ago
in Opinion
Ohio child sex abuse
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Why do we publish those awful stories about child sex abuse, pornography, and trafficking in Ohio and around the world? A commenter on one of our stories said we were turning into “pedo central” and that she thought SCDN was supposed to be “a news site.”  She’s certainly not the only one to express that opinion, though stories on the topic are often the most popular ones on the site. We’ve put up stories about the Census, Lawrence-Scioto the Solid Waste Management District, property tax delinquencies, decriminalizing pot in Portsmouth, COVID, and other important topics this week but when you look at the web traffic numbers, these horrible stories of abuse get about 10 times as many hits. And that’s a good thing. I’ll tell you why.

Child sexual abuse and trafficking in our area is a problem. A big one. As prevalent and real and ugly as the opioid epidemic. The opioid epidemic that people ignored for so long because they didn’t want to believe that doctors would do something like that. Their friends, relatives, and neighbors simply couldn’t be involved in drug abuse. Despite the shocking number of local arrests involving child pornography, abuse, and trafficking in our area, some people still don’t want to believe.

Nationwide,

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Mary Lou Ratliff, 90 of Portsmouth

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Special Edition: Unmasking Southern Ohio’s Human Trafficking Scandal 

I mean, I get it. It’s ugly. Who wants to see that? Sometimes when prosecutors present a case, they hesitate to show awful, graphic evidence to a jury because they know it will overwhelm them and cause them to shut down. Sometimes, I think stories like this do that to people.


Why Do We Run These Stories?

Why do we run these stories? – Because the problem is reaching epidemic proportions and the COVID-19 lockdown has made it even worse.  Children are traded for pills and cash. Videos of that sexual abuse are transmitted all over the country and the world for the gratification of other predators. The abuse never ends.

What’s the deal with stories that aren’t ‘local’? – When it comes to child trafficking, pornography, and sex abuse, there is no such thing as local. The Internet put an end to that. A predator in Canada can entice, blackmail, and abuse 12-year-old girls all over the US and the world. In the past few days, I’ve seen a dozen reports from the Department of Justice about men using ‘sextortion’ schemes to trap children into sending them sexual images and even harming themselves. They target little girls all over the country. We put their names, photos, and social media handles out there so you can check them. Check with your kids. Has this person contacted you, ever? Have you ever seen these social media handles? Does someone I know communicate with this person?

Predators don’t just target kids. They make friends with their parents and guardians, too. That’s how they work.


The Monsters Are Real

Why so many stories on this topic? –  We monitor Project Safe Childhood, the State of Ohio, plus local and regional police and the Sheriff’s offices. I think I look at between twenty to thirty cases of child pornography, trafficking, and sex abuse EVERY SINGLE DAY in Ohio and everywhere else. We run a fraction of them. Maybe 5% of what see most days. And remember, those are just the people who get caught. So many of these cases have details so disturbing we can barely figure out how to write about them.

Yesterday, was a particularly bad day for me. I’ve been in this business longer than many of you have been alive and I cried for a good 20 minutes after reading some of the arrest reports yesterday. The pastor abusing the infant and the man who “sextorted” approximately 100 little girls made me so angry my hands wouldn’t stop shaking.

How in the world could I live with myself if I didn’t tell you these monsters are among us. They are our pastors, our doctors, our teachers, our friends, and our relatives. They come at our babies through us, through our church, through the Internet. The crimes they commit are so vile that you’d rather not think about them. I sure as hell wish I could forget them. But I can’t forget and I cannot allow you to forget. We have children to look out for. We need to be aware of the monsters.


Just Like A Virus

They are as deadly and prevalent as COVID-19. Like that virus, they are invisible to the naked eye. It’s easier to read about a virus than a pastor who repeatedly rapes a baby and takes a video of it. You can’t put on a mask, stand six feet apart, and wash your hands to avoid a predator. If a virus was decimating our children and teens, you’d want to know.

Please Support This Local Business

I have as much responsibility to tell you about this as the county has to issue tornado and flood warnings. I’m sorry if it upsets you. I’m sorrier still that this happens to little children every single hour of every day in every corner of the world. That includes your corner. Child sex abuse happens every day in Scioto County, Ohio.

As we have learned from the opioid epidemic that’s ravaged our town, ignoring an ugly problem does not make it go away.

Tags: ChildrenCyberFamilyFeaturedOhiosafety
Please Support This Local Business

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