To let my DS walk to school by himself

[theITgirl]

He is nearly 10. The roads are safe, he is sensible and has been walking by himself for nearly a year.
I have just learnt that there is a peodophile living close to the school. He was bailed and living at his house - court case due very soon.
The peodophile is on trial for images on his computer, no idea of the severity of the images.
A lot of people walk the same route and we do keep an eye out for everybody else.

What would you do?

I think that at some point you do have to let go of the apron strings.Ds is 7 and during the daytime I do let him walk to local shops,5 mins walk,1 green man crossing,away,as he asked me if he could .I wait at the bottom of the street and watch for him!Just my opinion though

Let him walk.

I assume you let him play out with his mates without any supervision.

There will be lots of other kids arriving at school at the same time as him, so he will end up tagging along with them anyway.

I think he will be fine, just remind him about not talking to strangers and to tell you or a teacher if anyone approaches him.

Let him walk. For all you know there could be loads of kiddy fiddlers in your area. It's just that you happen to actually know about this guy. Anyway let's not forget innocent until proven guilty.

I was completely sure of my decisions until I learnt of the Peodophile. I think I have to have another of the stranger danger conversations. BUT really push the whole "there are nasty people out there".
Nearly everybody is nice though. I want them to feel comfortable about asking for help if they got lost etc.
I find striking the right balance very difficult.

Images on a computer could really mean just that and the person in question may well be of no real threat in RL. Ensure ds knows to go to someone he knows or tell school if there is anything he is unhappy about on the journey. He is old enough to be able to make a judgement on another persons behaviour, and act accordingly if given the right instruction.

Images on a computer are different to actually having abused a child though. I am not saying it is ok, not at all, but as Worra said, you are aware of him and children in the area can be told to avoid this man and alert teachers or another parent if he approaches them.

Thanks for all your opinions. Glad you are saying let him walk. I do know of another kiddy fiddler in the area but not on the route to school.
Innocent until proven guilty - Yeah but somebody in that house downloaded the kiddy porn!

I don't think anyone is justifying the porn...just saying that, in reality, your son should be just as safe as any other in the country. Who knows what goes on behind the closed door on the way to any school??

It is terrible but downloaded images are no threat to MY children. Will have to have a conversation with DS.
Probably not till Sunday as if DS and his friend both finish their homework they are having a sleepover tomorrow night.

Thank you for reassuring me. I did not want to curtail their freedom.

By the way... I know for a fact that there is the same situation close to my dc's school...the man in question has kept a very low profile since the case.

As you say, you dont know the severity of it. It could be teenaged girls the bloke was looking at, or it could be young children. None of it is right, but he hasnt even been found guilty yet.

Many perverts have been found guilty of downloading indecent images, but have NEVER so much as touched a child, and I would imagine most never would either.

It still makes them a pervert, but it does mean your child is not in danger and you cant keep them with you 24/7 until they are adults.

At 10 he is old enough to shout loudly and run fast if anyone approaches him, and so long as you have instilled into him that he tells someone if he feels at all threatened or in a situation he isnt comfortable with, then you really cant do any more than that.

Good choice ITgirl if we stopper the kids freedoms then the sicko's win. Give kids the tools to stay safe and let them go (wringing your hands at all times as all mums will ).