Michael Jackson headline

Why are they printing something that cant be proven? He's been dead a long time so why now?

Have you read the article I linked to?
It is the newly released film which has brought this to public attention.

It definitely isn't suitable for front page news, I think.
It's too graphic.

Did anyone ever doubt his predilictions? It was in and out of the press in his life time and several boys were paid large sums of money to keep them quiet.

Yes it should be front page news.
Look at the comments on the thread about Paedophile Hunters, where mcem suggests we 'have the chat' with children about the fact offenders are out there in our communities and within our families.
Children need age appropriate information throughout the years they're growing up. We need to learn how to provide that information.

why didn't his mother stop him even being in the same hotel as MJ ?

Excellent question paddyann. the other question seems to be why didn't MJ stop himself abusing boys?

paddyann that occurred to me about all the boys involved with him

I think it is a mixture of hero worship being part of the life of such a huge celebrity, cupidity, stupidity and of course there are parents who would prostitute their children for the reasons already given.

Monica, as well as the reasons you give there is always the difficulty that many of us have in believing that so many people sexually abuse children. The response to the initial allegations against say JS or RH was largely of disbelief. In the case of JS the immediate question was 'why didn't those girls come forward at the time". RH continues to have the support of his wife and daughter in his denials, despite a guilty finding.

That " fans" have "asked for or wanted it" has always been part of the defence when celebrities have been accused of inappropriate & illegal sexual behaviours. I guess that is what MJ would have said.. the children wanted the contact. Foolish parent though. Always difficult when graphic or frightening headlines are on the kitchen table.

I take all points but am glad DD and SIL don’t take the Telegraph so no awkward questions from the little boys.
It was that wording I found hard, rather than the fact of the report. Sadly the broadsheets can be as sensationalist as the red tops

Just glad I didn’t have to cope with-
“”Granny, what do they mean wed?”

I did not say that fans asked for or wanted it, which is no excuse anyway.

But some people are completely blown out of their mind to be near a celebrity, who they idolise and are prepared to do anything just to be near that person, others of course willingly prostitute their children for the money they know they can make.

MawBroon I cannot see why there should be any problem explaining the article to small children if they ask. It is essentially what we all do when we talk to children at that age and younger about stranger danger. You do not need to go into all the detail. Just make it clear it means taking a child to bed as if they were adults and touching places that we all know are private and adults should not touch.

When DC were about the age of the children you mention, a local boy of a similar age was abducted and his body not found for many years. There was an arrest, trial and it was clearly a sexually motivated abduction. DC could not help but know of it and they asked every question they could and that is what I told them. They accepted my answers and understood.

M0nica I was not suggesting that was what you meant but just commenting on how the defence of abusers often go.
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As Monica says, if we buy a minute or two to gather our thoughts, we can usually reassure our children.
My children were a similar age to your grandchildren when James Bulger was abducted and murdered. My children had recently joined year 6 pupils in walking to school in a kind of walking bus. My youngest aged 7 asked me if it was safe 'because we walk past teenagers at the bus stop'. the 'teenagers' were from our local high school. I wasn't aware the children had seen the news, we didn't have tv on at tea time, and after school they'd watch children's tv. I was initially taken aback but listened to her fears and reassured her that she didn't need to be afraid that the boys and girls at the bus stop would hurt her. I joined the walking bus for a couple of days after that.
So far as the possibility of sexual abuse, it's something we discussed in an age appropriate way throughout their childhoods. We can't guarantee safety but we can do our best.

Good advice Iam