DOVER - Oct. 7: Man held on rape charges.
Nov. 18: Priest accused of sex abuse.
Nov. 23: Dover man charged with raping teen.
The date changes, but headlines in the newspaper carry a grim, yet repetitive message - Downstate sex crimes increased over last year and the victims are children.
However, John R. Humphrey, executive director of the Children's Advocacy Center of Delaware Inc. for nearly a decade, believes the number of child predators who are reported and prosecuted represent only a small percentage of the actual perpetrators of the crime.
Because crimes against children are frequently not reported by the child, and because there are many avenues for handling a complaint, experts struggle to determine an exact number of victims.
"Those are just the ones you know about," Mr. Humphrey said.
"I believe there are 75 to 80 percent more we don't know about it. There are victims who have never told."
Although Delaware has a mandatory reporting system in which teachers and day-care providers are required to report suspected abuse, Delaware State Police Sgt. Charles Mullett also believes the crime occurs more frequently than it's reported.
"The increase is staggering," Sgt. Mullett said.
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