Panelists at Michigan State address child sexual abuse perpetrated by 'nice guys'

EAST LANSING - The campus of Michigan State University — rocked in the past year by the exposure of former doctor Larry Nassar's sexual abuses — was the site of a panel Friday morning on "nice guy" sexual offenders.

The vast majority of child sexual abuse is carried out by people close to the child, explained Francey Hakes, a former federal prosecutor who now advises on child protection topics. 

"When you talk about who it is that is abusing children, who is molesting children, it is generally speaking, somewhere between 85 and 90 percent, their circle of trust," she said. 

They are family members and friends, as well as teachers, babysitters, priests and coaches, Hakes explained. It's an underreported crime, she continued, explaining that only 10% to 25% of children ever report that sexual abuse. 

Larissa Boyce, a Nassar survivor and panelist, spoke about her first-hand experiences with the former doctor, whom she reported to her gymnastics coach Kathie Klages in 1997. 

"I was brainwashed into thinking that what was happening was medical treatment because I did come forward and I was told by two adults that I trusted that what was happening to me was legitimate medical treatment," Boyce said. "So even though I felt uncomfortable I had to, in order to survive through it, I had to convince myself that I must have a dirty mind, that something was wrong with me, that I had to be okay with what Nassar was doing to prove nothing was wrong with me." 

Boyce added that Nassar, "would act like he was your friend, not just your doctor."

Panelists also discussed ways to combat child sexual abuse. Among their suggestions was having a more open and honest line of communication with children about sexual topics, including what kind of touching is appropriate.

"Give kids the ability to talk openly," said Jim Clemente, a retired supervisory special agent, and profiler with the FBI who sat on the panel.

Treating child sexual abuse as a public health issue, helping people better recognize inappropriate relationships between children and adults, would also go a long way to combat it, panelists agreed.

Also on the panel was Tashmica Torok, founder and executive director of the Firecracker Foundation, a Holt-based group that provides resources to survivors of sexual trauma, and David Mittleman, an attorney who represents more than 100 Nassar survivors. The panel was moderated by Lansing State Journal Executive Editor Stephanie Angel. 

Contact RJ Wolcott at (517) 377-1026 or rwolcott@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @wolcottr.