Friday, June 22, 2007 - 06:59 AM

Adam Walsh (Summer 1981)
Polly Klaas (October 1993)
Samanthan Runnion (July 2002)
Jessica Lunsford (February 2005)

In light of the disappearance of little Madeleine McCann from her family vacation in Portugal, I am posting as much info as I can on missing and exploited children. I pray every night she will make it and be returned alive to her parents. But the ordeal she has suffered has certainly been traumatic at the least. As a mother I can only hope that her parents will be given the oportunity to hold her again and help her to heal. I am beyond devastated that abduction, sexual exploitation, murder and abuse of any kind occurs to children in this world. I have never forgotten the stories of Adam Walsh, Polly Klaas, Samantha Runnion and Jessica Lunsford, just a few of so many horrific kidnappings, sexual assaults and deaths. Each one still brings me to tears when I think of what they must have gone through. But I am further traumatized that an adult would willfully commit such inhumanities. I don't feel there's strict enough punishment for child offenders and too many people turn their heads. We need to stand up and demand greater penalties and no leniancy. I don't believe child sex offenders can be "rehabilitated".

Adam Walsh's story was especially tragic because he was mistakenly asked to leave the Sears store he was in by a young clerk who thought he was with a group of older kids with no parents. He was with his mom who let him watch the older kids playing video games while she was 75 feet away looking at lamps. Just 6 years old, he was told to leave the store via a side door he was unfamiliar with. Shy and probably confused, he obeyed. He was never seen alive again.

Polly Klaas' story was especially tragic as she was taken from her own home during a slumber party and never seen alive again.

Samanthan Runnion was taken off her front lawn kicking and screaming while playing with a friend. Only 5 years old, she was sexually assualted then murdered. Her 5 year old friend saw her get taken and described the car and man she saw take her friend. Most heart-wrenching of all was that Samantha was identified to her killer's car through DNA found in the form of her tears in his car. Her killer had been cleared earlier of previous child sexual assault. Her abduction, assualt and death should have never happened.

Jessica Lunsford's story hit me so hard that I thought I might not recover. Looking almost exactly like my own daughter, and the same age, she was buried alive after days of abuse, in the backyard of a house across the street from her own. The police had even searched that house, but not the closet where she was believed held captive. She was found buried, bound and gagged, clutching her favorite stuffed animal.

We need to be active. We need to write to our legislators and pull for stronger laws and punishments against child predators. There should NEVER be any repeat offenders!!!

Think of and pray for Madeleine McCann's safety.

Please visit the following sites (I apologize that I can't link directly) and do whatever you can in your own small (or big) way.
http://www.findmadeleine.com/

http://www.missingkids.com/

http://www.childsearch.us/site1/walshstory.html

http://www.jmlfoundation.org/jessica.html

http://www.thejoyfulchild.org/

http://www.klaaskids.org/pg-legmeg.html

http://www.worldvision.org/donate.nsf/child/child_crisis_partner_learn_more?Open&campaign=111619443&cmp=KNC-111619443

http://www.change.org/changes/change_page/38

http://www.paulandlisa.org/legislation.htm

http://www.stopitnow.com/resourceguide/rg01_csaprev.html

http://www.thelivingweb.net/prevent_child_molestation_and_sexual_exploitation.html

http://www.stopsexoffenders.com/