'It's on us all to keep children safe': How abuse report by citizens led to conviction
DOVER — Strafford County Attorney Tom Velardi is pointing to a recent conviction and sentencing of a Rochester man in connection with child sex abuse images to emphasize mandatory reporting laws.
Velardi said the laws mean every single person is required to report suspicions of abuse.
"Doing so might make all the difference in what is happening with a child," he said.
Velardi cited reporting by two individuals that led police to Paul Patsalis.
Patsalis, 78, of Rochester, was sentenced recently to 5 to 10 years in prison for possessing child sex abuse images. Velardi said if he was not caught, his crimes may have become much worse.
"Mr. Patsalis brings his cell phone to a local Verizon store in 2021, wanting some data transfer services," said Velardi. "The clerk noticed threads on the phone regarding child trafficking, queries about the cost of procuring a child. The clerk reported it and that led to us finding troves of child sex images in his home."
Velardi said information on Patsalis' phone told them he had been making some "clear plans" involving child sex trafficking.
"He was asking escorts what it would cost to include a child," said Velardi. "He was on sites with torture/beating elements. It is really fortuitous that people were in a position to realize what was going on and reported it."
Velardi said Patsalis was arrested a second time after he was reported by a person who saw him at Rochester Common with a 5-year-old child.
Police said it was reported "Patsalis was holding her stuffed animal while what appeared to be touching or rubbing her back." Patsalis was confronted and left the area in a black Volkswagen Passat.
"The person confronting Patsalis at the park was one of the child's mother's friends," he said. "She confronted him, asking what he was doing and why he was with the child. Many times people do not want to confront, but she did and it was important."
The county attorney praised the work by Rocheter police investigating the report.
"They recognized the pattern and were able to pull together both incidents to make a strong case," he said.
Rochester Police Chief Gary Boudreau also praised the reporting from the public.
"This was a good job of citizens noticing a concerning behavior/evidence and they had concerns for possible child victims," Boudreau said. "Once they discovered the behavior they did the right things by calling the police."
The chief said the information helped officers develop probable cause "to take this report to the next level for an investigation," adding, "In any of these cases, especially ones involving children, it is incredibly important for adults to be observant, listen to that inner voice, and make a report."
Parents on high alert after school bus driver case
In another recent case, this August, an Eliot, Maine, man, who worked as a school bus driver for First Student, is facing federal charges alleging he threatened and stalked an 8-year-old child attending Greenland Central School in New Hampshire.
Michael Chick, 39, is facing federal interstate stalking charges, alleging he crossed state lines to threaten a child and the child’s family, according to Jane Young, U.S. attorney for New Hampshire.
More: What parents need to know about how predators groom kids
Court documents allege Chick had given the boy TracFones with instructions to take inappropriate photographs of himself, placed GPS tracking devices on his parents’ vehicles to track if they went to police, and made multiple visits to the family's home at night.
Maureen Sullivan, executive director of the Portsmouth office of the Granite State Children's Alliance Child Advocacy Centers, said she is still helping Seacoast area families who are concerned about Chick's grooming activities.
Grooming is when a perpetrator slowly insinuates his way into the child's life. Sullivan said Chick was giving the boy candy, Pokemon cards, in a pattern where pedophiles start slow and build toward their ultimate goal of abuse.
Sullivan pointed, as an example, to the case of Jerry Sandusky, a former Penn State University assistant football coach sentenced to decades in prison for sexually abusing children that went unreported.
"People saw him in the shower doing things and said nothing, didn't report," Sullivan said. "So it continued. Good for the persons in Rochester who reported. They did the right thing and probably prevented a lot of harm from happening to children."
Velardi and Sullivan urge people to speak out if they suspect abuse, even if they are not sure what is happening.
"Have that openness with your children," Sullivan said. "Talk to them. Ask about their day, all the time. That bus driver gave you candy? Did he give it to everyone? Just you? Never infer blame because it is in no way the child's fault."
Nationwide, mandatory reporting means any person who suspects that a child under the age of 18 has been abused or neglected is required to report the incident(s) to law enforcement. Toll free numbers are available 24/7, including weekends and holidays.
In New Hampshire: 800-894-5533
In Maine: 800-452-1999
The National Human Trafficking line: 888-373-7888
What are signs of abuse?
Sullivan said that in 90% of child abuse cases, the perpetrator is known to the child, and likely the family. She said it might be a friend, a family member, a school acquaintance or a neighbor.
"When your child is not comfortable giving Uncle Johnny a hug, respect that," she said. "Ask non-threatening questions to see what might be going on. Make the child feel safe, believed."
Watch for physical signs of abuse, and for a child who is unusually timid or frightened.
"If you see a bruise that looks like a handprint, a black eye, you need to say something," said Sullivan. "It's the law. If you're wrong, fine. But if you're not ..."
"If you have a suspicion, you can confront the person, doing it in a way that is safe for you," said Velardi. "Report it. Police departments deal with this type of crime. They understand how to investigate. People can share anonymously. It takes all of us to keep children safe."
Velardi said when no one wants to report a child in a potentially bad situation, it can mean days, weeks, months, even years of abuse for a child.
"It's on us all to keep children safe," he said.
Grooming, leading to abuse or a sexual assault can happen over the Internet, too, said Velardi.
The Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force offers tips to keep kids safe online at icactaskforce.org/internetsafety.
This article originally appeared on Fosters Daily Democrat: Strafford County attorney urges child abuse reporting
