ENGLEWOD CLIFFS, NJ: Pedophiles, unfortunately, are still among us and, despite the theorizing by some that they can be rehabilitated, their presence remains a serious concern for all of us. Not only are these individuals present, they are clever and can be incredibly creative in their efforts to find their next victims.

The latest case of this type of clever creativity appears to be in the form of John Mark Karr who you may recall was implicated, for a time, in the death of the child beauty queen, JonBenet Ramsey. Karr, apparently in a play for publicity for himself, claimed that he had killed the child. He had been an elementary school teacher who went to Thailand where he was working, again, as a teacher. His life, however, was about to take even more unusual turns as he re-invented himself in the guise of a woman.

The media has reported that Karr is now presenting himself as a woman and uses a woman name in this effort. It isn't known whether he is considering a sex change operation, but one thing in his behavior is truly unnerving; he allegedly wants to start a little girls' sex cult for himself.

Unfortunately, his case will only make the lives of innocent transsexual/transgender persons even more difficult. They may begin to bear the brunt of ill-informed citizens who see them as a danger to their children. They aren't. Karr is using this ruse in yet another attempt to gain notoriety for himself. To me, it's not clear whether he truly wants to be a woman or he finds it would be easier to lure children to him if he posed as one. One thing is a sure bet and that's that he loves being in the limelight and this may be children's greatest protection. The guy can't keep himself out of the media.

Does Karr have a mental condition that requires treatment or should he be incarcerated as a menace to children? If he hasn't made any attempts toward children, he can't be arrested and he can't be hospitalized. Herein lies the rub, as they say. He is free to roam the streets disguised as a woman and will be free to come and go as he pleases. No mental health authority can touch him, no law enforcement personnel can stop him. It's a free country and this is one freedom we prize; the freedom to live your life as you wish unless you are a danger to self or others.

Whether the tales we're hearing about Karr are true or not, the fact remains that pedophiles walk among us and we need to educate our children. We don't want them to develop fear of everyone around them but we do want them to be safe.

What programs does your community have for this? Who's checking the credentials of your school staff, the local service organizations and anything that deals with children? Give it some thought, but don't let this bizarre case push you to rash judgments or plans.

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