Mel Hall - Portrait of a Predator

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Aug 29, 2011
2,581
83
NorCal
Typo ^ Predator.
The many crimes of Mel Hall: He was a flamboyant player, a charismatic coach, and a sexual predator - SBNation.com

Long read about former MLB player Mel Hall. Not sure if this belong here or not but since one of his victims was on his travel softball team I guess this is as good a place as any.

Guy is pretty much the scum of the earth.

Fortunately he's serving a 45 year prison sentence now and isn't first eligible for parole until he's 71 a hopefully will never see the light of day again.

But it is a good cautionary tale about not trusting people blindly and if someone creeps you or your DD out, run don't walk away - that D1 scholarship is not worth it.
 
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JJsqueeze

Dad, Husband....legend
Jul 5, 2013
5,436
38
safe in an undisclosed location
Holy crap how stupid can the parents be? Adult male sleeping in 15 year old daughter's bedroom but everything is pure? the parents should be in prison too.

I just read the rest of the article...horrific. But really well written and I like how the author explains the psychology of the victims and the dilemmas they face. I think this might be something my older one should read.
 
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May 7, 2008
8,506
48
Tucson
I'll read it. I got to the point where he took a 15 yo to the prom. One common theme is that these kids are groomed. They are chosen.

Once my son (17) was in big trouble and he went to counseling for it. He meant a "mentor" that called me and wanted my son to ride to NY (from IL) with him. I went off on him like a Banty rooster. He was not legitimate, because he never offered to meet with me and my husband.

Parents needs to wake up.
 
Aug 29, 2011
2,581
83
NorCal
Amy, yes Hall seemed to have a repeated patten of grooming girls based on the article. Looks like it went back to before he was a sports star. very sickening. Oh and if you can fix my typo in the post header that'd be nice. if not no biggie.

JJ - I agree the parents seemed culpable in the first case. They were either very naive, very stupid, turned a blind eye to what was going on, or were actively pimping out their daughter. I can see why they have as the article put it "a strained relationship" with their daughter now.
 
Jul 19, 2014
2,390
48
Madison, WI
A little parental supervision goes a long way. Even the worst predators can be wonderful around kids when the parents are around.

I remember when I was 10, my father's old college roommate stopped by our house to visit, along with his (the roommate's) boyfriend. I had a great time hanging out out with my dad's old friend, Allen Ginsburg. Allen really seemed to have a way with boys.

Of course, my parents, and Allen's boyfriend, Peter, were never out of sight for a second. Nothing untoward happened, and I got to jam on the piano with one of the greatest American poets of the 20th century. A few months later, my father sent Allen a copy of some poems I wrote, and Allen sent back a poem written in my style.

I found out many years later that Allen was one of the most notorious pedophiles in the US at the time. My parents knew that, and kept a close eye on things. Sweet guy, but needed to be watched carefully. Harmless when the parents were watching.
 
Mar 28, 2013
769
18
Speaking from experience its jaw dropping what the parents are willing to live in denial with on a winning team. Predators don't just pick any kid. They don't want to get caught,they are very good at picking the right kid in a group of kids/team that is the kid most likely so desperate for approval and attention that they will go along with anything. That kid is easy to spot in any group setting. get them all together in a bunch, first you have the confident ones, Those are off the list, then the socially successful, off the list. then then you look in the back of the pack, head down, no confidence, not allot of friends, very quiet, things are not that great at home for whatever reason. That is your likely abuse victim. What kid who is already devoid of self esteem is going to admit to the world he or she is having relations with an adult. then have to describe it graphically in court, or to the defense attorneys. The torture for the brave ones goes long after the actual abuse when seeking justice, not to mention the emotional damage. If you want to protect your kid from being a victim make sure they have all the love and attention they need along with a healthy dose of self worth and esteem. Predators wont touch that kind of child with a ten foot pole. And for god sake mother nature provided you with a instinctual radar LISTEN TO IT!! Every predator on the planet sizes up a heard, and goes after the weak ones, Humans are no different Raise strong kids and the predators will leave them alone.
 

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