I wish to share my feelings about the beggining of the end!!!

As many of you already know, the Devlin case has affected me very much. This case started 5 years ago October 6th. On that day a boy named Shawn disappeared. I volunteered for search parties and spent many cold rainy days trying to find this poor boy.

After about a month, with no luck, most everyone resigned themselves to the fact that we had lost another innocent victim. As time passed, even I stopped looking at every 11 year old boy, to see if maybe I would recognize Shawn. Time passed and I went on with my life.

Then, this January, my world would come to a crashing halt. Another boy by the name of Ben, vanished. Six days later, prayers were answered. Ben was found alive, but the shocking part was, Shawn was also found.

These events were a major trigger for me. I became obsessed with following the news. I started to hate the stupid questions my friends started asking me about the case and "why didn't Shawn run" crap. I withdrew from the world. Isolation became my friend.

Now, 9 months later, I have begun working on my issues. I feel progress happening. I am now trying to get out of the house, on a social level, much more. I am also going to the Hope Springs retreat, and that alone marks major progress.

Today, Michael Devlin the pervert, has done the first deccent thing in this whole case. He has agreed to plead guilty, to all charges, to prevent Shawn and Ben from having to go through the long trial process. Details are coming out, but the boys won't have to sit on the witness stand and face their tormentor.

The prosecutor, in the first of three counties, used the phrase "Evil Incarnate" to describe Devlin. For the next two days this perp will face two more judges and will continue to plead guilty. He was sentenced to "Life plus 20 years" for Ben's kidnapping. He will next face charges of kidnapping Shawn, then finally, he will plead guilty to the SA.

For more details: http://www.myfoxstl.com/myfox/

I am looking forward to the end of this entire, horrible case.

I am also glad the boys won't have to recount the worst of the details. I hope all of you will send your thoughts and prayers to Ben and Shawn. We all know the effects of CSA, and these boys have a long road ahead.

I wish you all the best, and I hope one day we can all go out for a beer. (socially speaking)

Luv ya,
Carl

Hey Carl I just saw that he plead guilty on the news and i thought of you.


,Chris

The news of Shawn being recovered so many years later was a huge part of the realization that sexual abuse had happened to me.

So many people ask the stupid question... "if it was so bad, why did he stay?"

I know why.

My thoughts are with you, Carl. They are also, of course, with Ben and Shawn.

Bryan

This case played a very big role in my disclosure. I was SO furious with the media and their treatment of Shawn.

It seems I cant travel to MO without seeing Devlin in the news. I saw a news story a couple of weeks ago on him. It triggered my badly. I'm just glad that no one has to go through the trial process.

Post deleted by nicky

life + 20 years , hopefuly he will have a short life sentence
child molesters don't last long in prison
just hopeing
Sory to be so harsh . But I have no use for pedafiles

Carl,

Thanks for the heads-up on this case. I was wondering how it had ended and I'm so happy for Ben and Shawn that they won't have to go through the experience of testimony and cross-examination.

Much love,
Larry

And another one is off the streets. Huzzah

Hi,

I can only echo the sentiments expressed here. I'm glad the boys didn't have to testify against this jerk, and happy to see him off the streets forever. Maybe solitary confinement is too kind a punishment for him, and maybe it only means emotional fallout for a lot of us, and maybe the media will always fail to understand the horrors of sexual abuse, but at least the story gets out.
My prayers are with you, Carl. May the healing process continue, with as little pain as possible and as many tears as necessary. You did your part in seeing that those boys would come home again, and slowly return to humanity (that's so hard when you've been treated so inhumanly). We don't quickly forget real tragedies, and let's hope the world doesn't.

Ed

I did not know of this case truly. I am very sorry of what was done to those two boys.

I have had to face the possibility of to have to be in court and face an abuser. It terrified me, and afterwards, another person abused by the same man spoke out in court instead of me. And that is me as a grown man. I can not imagine how afraid those boys would be. I am very glad they do not have to.

andrei