And once again we have a situation where a respected, trusted, even Idolised person is strongly suspected of being involved in the most reprehensible kind of behavior.  And we have his victims, young boys, that have had their lives altered forever. Some of them may never be able to lead a normal life as a result of this mans sick and selfish actions.

But the direct victims of these crimes are only  the epicenter of an ever expanding circle of victims and of damaged done to our culture and society.  Even beyond the chidren, and family and friends of these children there are the people whose perceptions and actions will be altered to the detriment of all who are involved in their lives. 

How many time does exposure to this kind of news cause an adult to hesitate to interact with children for fear of how it will be perceived?  People will now question the motive behind every caring overture of an adult toward a child.  Many children will be further isolated from society.  A child that may benefit greatly from a mentoring adult will lose the opportunity.

Many people will say that this reaction is a good thing.  That we have to do everything possible to protect kids from  predators that  lurk  around every corner.  And of course it's difficult not to agree.  But what of the loss of all the positive influences.  The helping hand that steers a child away from the dark side.  A mentor  that expands a child's horizons. A person who could provide a safe haven for  a child in who is living in an unstable and uncertain situation.

Speaking for myself, I have always decided against doing something like being a "Big Brother" because of the fear of some goofy situation being misread, or deliberately misrepresented.  I would have an extremely difficult time dealing with being accused of  harming a child.

Is there some way we can fix this?