WCAX.COM Local Vermont News, Weather and Sports-Dirty Secrets, Part 3

Dirty Secrets, Part 3

St. Albans, Vermont - November 29, 2006

"Treatment has helped me be a different person," said a sex offender, we're calling "Corey."

He sexually abused a teenage girl he knew.  "Corey" has been out of jail for 6 months after a 4 year prison term and two years of sex offender treatment. He's a father holding down a new job in Central Vermont.

"As times goes on, it gets easier and easier," Corey said.

He's trying to live by what he learned in jail.

Lessons these men at the state prison in St. Albans are tackling too. Doors close and discussions begin.  The men range in age from 19 to 63. Years apart -- with one thing in common. They're all child sex offenders.

"There's nothing that's uniform about them except they're convicted of a sexual offense," said Sarah Morrison, a prison therapist.

The inmates must attend this meeting twice a week to talk about their dirty secrets. This is sex offender treatment.

Pedophiles and internet predators gather in a circle.  They share stories about their crimes and confront each other about owning up to them.

"All of our work is done in a group setting," said Morrison.

"Nobody knows better than them about what they're dealing with," said Doug Nelson, a prison therapist.

Sex offender treatment works much like drug and alcohol treatment.

"They can learn how to manage their behavior so they don't drink again and we use the same approach with sex offenders," said Georgia Cumming.  She oversees sex offender treatment for the Vt. Department of Corrections.

But instead of 12 steps, there are seven -- aimed at teaching sex offenders to take responsibility for their crimes and control their deviant sexual urges.  Therapists require sex offenders to view their crimes from the victims perspective. They teach empathy during class and through homework projects.

Sex offenders in treatment all live together to keep them focused on their lessons and to help guards keep an eye on them: Constant monitoring to try to prevent inmates from conning their way through the program.

"There sort of in a fish bowl," said Nelson.

"Is treatment making a difference? Clearly it's making a difference and made a difference in my life," said Corey.

Corey continues to battle his demons using what he learned in treatment.

"I have had these thoughts for 20 to 25 years and you can't just expect them to go away," he said. "When you do have them, you do something about it, like coping responses or talk about it in group. Will I always have to keep an eye on that?  Absolutely."

Corey continues his treatment at community based sites. There are nine spread across Vermont. He says treatment is crucial for all sex offenders and says it's the only way to stop them from re-offending. The state also requires periodic lie detector tests.

"Anyone who has committed a sexual offense should be doing treatment," he said.

Treatment began in Vermont in 1982. The Corrections Department says its programs continue to be modeled in other states because of their success rates. A recent study shows 95-percent of child sex abusers who complete treatment do not re-offend.

"We're looking at reduction. I don't think we can ever say we will eliminate re-offenses," said Cumming.

That's what frightens victims and their families. That five-percent who, despite treatment, will target another innocent child.

"They ruin a child's life," said a mother we're calling "Susan."

She suffered every parent's worst nightmare. Her young son was sexually abused by a family friend who's awaiting trial. Susan says Vermont's children would be safer if molesters were locked up for good.

"Justice would be life because that's what they give each and every child that they offend,"she said.  "He (my son) went through a period in his life where he didn't want to live and thinks its his fault.  I think it's just to pacify people to say they're going to get treatment because chances are it's not going to work."

Darren Perron - Channel 3 News