The victims in this child sex scandal include four children, three siblings ages 7, 10 and 12 years old and a 10 year-old aunt. One of the children’s parents is among the defendants.
News stories report that Patrick Kelly, Jamie Pittman, Shauntel Mayo, among other adults, allegedly fed the children Vicodin and forced them to perform sex shows for an adult audience in a local swingers club. Residents in Mineola and adjacent communities are horrified of what has happened to these children in their community. One of the neighbors says she remembers many cars in the parking lot at the swinger’s club. At first, the community did not know children were being victimized inside the club. The investigation revealed that as many as 50 to 100 adults would watch the children perform their sex shows.
The child sex abuse took place in a former day care center. The first allegations surfaced in 2005 when one of the children revealed the activity to their foster mother. While Jamie Pittman and Shauntel Mayo have been sentenced to life in prison for their role in this heinous crime, Patrick Kelly faces trial. He is charged with aggravated sexual assault of a child, tampering with physical evidence and organized criminal activity.
Since these crimes took place, some of the children have been placed in permanent foster care and are undergoing counseling.
Injury to the genital region is indicative of sexual abuse. Moral neglect exists when parents or caregivers allow a child to remain in environments with immoral conditions. The defendants, as well as the spectators in this case are guilty of moral neglect in addition to other criminal activity. The long term affects of child sex abuse include developmental arrest in developing basic trust and self worth into adulthood. Neglect of a child is an act of omission or failure to meet the child’s needs, such as poor nutrition, severe malnutrition, failure to thrive, lack of medical attention and failure to provide a safe environment or remove the child from an unsafe environment.
