My father-in-law read my posts on the pedophile and posted a heated note on my Facebook page:
“OK, YOU put this out there and say YOU have concern and wish to warn people he is on facebook. YET appear to be FEARFUL of naming this person for those of us who don’t know of whom you speak. If he is what you say then naming him will do no harm. Homeless, jobless? Where is he gaining computer access? The library? Where countless children gather?”
I’ll freely admit it: A lot of times, my father-in-law is right. And yes, the guy has been getting Internet access from the library.
This guy was thrice convicted of sexually abusing a minor. His record is on the Internet for all to see. I guess I kept his name out at first because, believing as I do that NOBODY is beyond redemption, I wanted to give him a chance to get on with his life.
That was my mood when I wrote The Pedophile, Part 1.
Then I saw him friending scores of teenage girls from remote parts of the globe on Facebook and my heart and mood hardened. So I wrote this follow-up.
I’ll leave you to click those links if you want to know my full feelings about this fellow. It’s complicated, because we grew up together in the Point of Pines, Revere, Mass. He was my friend.
But we all have hard times in life, and the choice of which direction to take is ultimately up to us. He chose poorly. I don’t consider myself better than him. I could have easily made choices that would have landed me in jail. I was lucky and probably had a lot more love and support along the way. He did what he did, and the bottom line is that he is a danger to society. He doesn’t want to be. He’s told me as much. But he is, and so people need to be warned.
His name is Mark Hedgecock. He grew up on Bateman Avenue. He attended the Roosevelt School for grades K-6, Paul Revere for 7 and 8 and he went to the Voke in Wakefield for high school. We we both in the drafting shop and graduated in 1989.
Here’s the rap sheet. My best advice is to pray for him, because it’s never too late to turn it around. But if you see him on Facebook, steer clear. I forgive him for what he did, but when you do the crime you gotta do the time — in jail or out.
MARK HEDGECOCK
Address:00 HOMELESS/DOWNTOWN BOSTON CHARLESTOWN MA 02116 Race:White Sex:Male Height:5’08” Weight:170 lbs. Eyes:Brown Hair:Brown Age/DOB:39
Do ya mean this guy? http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001455012570
Bad picture I can’t believe he’s getting much romance with that profile. BTW, I looked at his rap sheet & I had to look up “indecent assault and battery” Never hear that terminology before. http://www.northeastern.edu/publicsafety/assault_faq.html
Do you know the details of his arrest? 3 separate incidents, or 3 victims at the same time? Anyway, I did pray for him. He has kind of a lost child look in his eyes. It’s too bad nobody wants to study Paedophilia. Until we figure out what causes it, there will always be more of them. There was a time when lepers were put in colonies so they wouldn’t have any contact with other people. Now there is a medical treatment for leprosy. Maybe someday we can say the same for this plague. In the meantime, maybe they need their own colony?
I don’t imagine dealing with Mark or writing these posts were in any way easy endeavors. And I laud your boldness and honesty. But I do suggest you reconsider the link to his “rap sheet” and/or find another as that site contains a specific disclaimer that it does not necessarily reflect the registry of offenders in any state let alone convictions for crimes. I don’t doubt your integrity or intentions, but this is a dicey matter that should be handled as carefully and legitimately as possible, I would think. Keep writing, my man. Best, timmy a
Leprosy and Pedophilia are so completely different that comparison isn’t even fair.
My rage-y comment:
Taking innocence from a child is a crime that is far from forgivable in my opinion. People who HARM children, or view videos (photos, etc.) of people harming children are committing a crime that I do not feel that death is a fair punishment for.
My more educated opinion:
I would compare pedophilia with other sexual preference psychological response such as sexual sadism or sadistic rage disorders. Criminal acts of all of these disorders are life-altering events for the victims. I am not justifying that adult victims are less victimized then children, but adult victims are more likely to heal without as many developmental issues as children. Victims are victims though. I don’t know that I believe that any of these disorders can ever be fully *treated*, even in the cases of chemical castration or actual castration, the mind is not changed, just the physical urge is minimized.
You can’t cure sexual preference, even if it’s a negative one. We have to rely on getting people the treatment, and the people who have these desires (much like alcoholics), need to be ready and willing to take action to accept treatment.
It’s all very sad. Thank you for doing a part to try to raise awareness, even if the person mentioned in the article isn’t ready for treatment, at least you can try to prevent exposure.
-E
I have a serious comment to say about this person. I met him almost 15 years ago and it was the biggest mistake of my life. I knew nothing about his past when we met, and then we had a relationship together, and we also had two children. When I found out what he had done I was furious and disgusted. I broke it off with him and have not seen him since. I feel that he deserves what ever punishment he is given.