15. Child Predators: Sarah Dowson & Mary Kay Letourneau

This week's episode is a little intense so we are going to include the National Suicide Prevention Hotline (1-800-273-8255) and the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline (1-800-4-A-CHILD). If you or someone you love is at immediate risk, please call 911. We recognize the importance of sharing stories and experiences to bring awareness to difficult issues. That being said, this was a tough episode to research and might be a tough one to listen to. This week, Rachel begins with the story of Sarah Dowson, a woman who used blackmail and emotional manipulation to force a teenage boy into a sexual relationship. She convinced his family that he was the father of her child in order to receive child support payments. Nathalie tells the story of Mary Kay Letourneau, a school teacher, who abused her position of power and raped her student. When this case first hit the tabloids, it was hard for society to comprehend a woman being a sexual predator. While media representations of similar cases have started to change for the better, there is still more work to be done. Rachel's Sources Suicide: What to do when someone is suicidal https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/suicide/in-depth/suicide/art-20044707 https://blogs.psychcentral.com/wellness/2011/11/manipulated-by-suicide-threats/ https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/married-mum-32-accused-teen-22317417 https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2004-01-14-0401130368-story.html https://www.basingstokegazette.co.uk/news/18566600.basingstoke-woman-accused-teen-lover-rape-lied-father-child/ https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/histrionic-personality-disorder#1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-molestation_order http://www.hlnycrc.co.uk/what-we-do/rehabilitation-activity-requirement/ Nathalie's Sources https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Kay_Letourneau https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/07/obituaries/mary-kay-letourneau-dead.html https://www.biography.com/news/mary-kay-letourneau-vili-fualaau-wedding-anniversary-scandal https://katu.com/news/local/mary-kay-letourneau-former-student-discuss-relationship https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/infamous-school-teacher-goes-back-to-prison https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/mary-kay-letourneau-marries-former-victim