Is this childhood ritual safe? You might be surprised to learn who is driving that ice cream truck… Sex offenders are drawn to this line of work, for obvious reasons.
Our children have had the pleasure of hearing that familiar jingle and approaching the closest adult shouting, “Here comes the ice cream man!” But now, as if parents don’t have enough to worry about, it appears that this industry has become a “magnet” for child predators.
“Can you think of a better kid magnet, if you were a sex offender?” asked Harmon Massey, Assistant States Attorney in Florida, as reported by USA Today.
My thoughts exactly. What better way to lure children? That’s exactly what happened in one case, which led to the law being changed in New York (read more in the story linked above). Now, other areas are following suit, creating ordinances either forbidding registered sex offenders from driving ice cream trucks, or at the least, requiring background checks. Parents all over continue working to get such ordinances passed in their own areas.
Another point that should be made is that parents can’t expect the government to babysit our kids. All the laws in the world won’t protect a child if parents are not paying attention. Although visiting the ice cream man seems like a rite of passage to many, today, we simply cannot be too careful. We tell our kids not to talk to strangers, but isn’t that exactly what the ice cream man is, a stranger that we know is right outside our homes?
I can think of very few children who wouldn’t be interested in a ride in an ice cream truck from the “friendly” neighborhood ice cream man. I don’t mean to scare people and I’m not suggesting we make our children live in fear of everyone they meet, but the cold hard truth is that there are people out there who harm children. Unfortunately, they go where children are, and end up teaching school, leading scouts, and yes, even selling ice cream right outside our doors.
What do you think about new laws and ordinances concerning this situation? Would you like to get involved in pursuing something like this in your area?