Girl, 11, may have performed sex acts
By Maureen Boyle, Enterprise staff writer
BROCKTON — Police are investigating allegations that an 11-year-old girl performed a sex act on three boys, with one as young as 9, as the children played video games.
The allegations surfaced this week after a 9-year-old boy told his parents that the girl performed a sex act on him and two friends in a bedroom at the 9-year-old's home, prompting a call to police Monday. The boy's parents were home in a different room at the time.
"This is unusual, but unfortunately it is becoming more prevalent," Lt. William Conlon, chief of detectives, said of pre-teen sexual activity. "It is starting younger and younger."
Conlon said some children are becoming sexually active and parents need to keep a close watch on where they are, as well as what they are doing, even when at home.
Studies are backing up that concern.
One study by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy found that 18 to 19 percent of youths have had sexual intercourse at age 14 or younger.
Another study, commissioned by NBC News and People magazine, found 77 percent of teens surveyed considered oral sex "sex" but 43 percent did not consider oral sex "as big a deal" as intercourse.
However, when children as young as 9 and 11 are performing sex acts red flags should be raised, said Elizabeth Englander, a Bridgewater State College psychologist and author of "Understanding Violence."
"I would not accept the argument that they saw it on television," she said. "If my child is thinking about specific sex acts, perhaps the child has been shown pornography or has been sexually abused."
In the most recent case, police are continuing to interview people and gather information in the investigation.
The 9-year-old told his parents, and later police, that the incident occurred Sunday after the children watched a movie, "Hide and Seek," a 2005 horror film rated R for "frightening sequences and violence," according to the Internet Movie Database.
Then they went to an upstairs bedroom to play a baseball video game.
The 9-year-old told police the others went upstairs first and when he joined them the girl was already performing oral sex on one of the boys.
He said he went into the room and played video games with the other child.
The girl then performed the sex act on a 13-year-old boy and on the 9-year-old. He told police he did not want to participate but was pressured to.
The age of the third boy was believed to be around the same as the others. Police were trying to identify him.
The girl, interviewed at her home with her mother, told police the group watched a movie, went upstairs to play video games and the boys forced her to perform the sex acts, Conlon said.
The 13-year-old boy, when interviewed by police, also said they watched a movie and went to play video games, but insisted the girl "made them do it" and there was no coercion, Conlon said.
By Maureen Boyle, Enterprise staff writer
BROCKTON — Police are investigating allegations that an 11-year-old girl performed a sex act on three boys, with one as young as 9, as the children played video games.
The allegations surfaced this week after a 9-year-old boy told his parents that the girl performed a sex act on him and two friends in a bedroom at the 9-year-old's home, prompting a call to police Monday. The boy's parents were home in a different room at the time.
"This is unusual, but unfortunately it is becoming more prevalent," Lt. William Conlon, chief of detectives, said of pre-teen sexual activity. "It is starting younger and younger."
Conlon said some children are becoming sexually active and parents need to keep a close watch on where they are, as well as what they are doing, even when at home.
Studies are backing up that concern.
One study by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy found that 18 to 19 percent of youths have had sexual intercourse at age 14 or younger.
Another study, commissioned by NBC News and People magazine, found 77 percent of teens surveyed considered oral sex "sex" but 43 percent did not consider oral sex "as big a deal" as intercourse.
However, when children as young as 9 and 11 are performing sex acts red flags should be raised, said Elizabeth Englander, a Bridgewater State College psychologist and author of "Understanding Violence."
"I would not accept the argument that they saw it on television," she said. "If my child is thinking about specific sex acts, perhaps the child has been shown pornography or has been sexually abused."
In the most recent case, police are continuing to interview people and gather information in the investigation.
The 9-year-old told his parents, and later police, that the incident occurred Sunday after the children watched a movie, "Hide and Seek," a 2005 horror film rated R for "frightening sequences and violence," according to the Internet Movie Database.
Then they went to an upstairs bedroom to play a baseball video game.
The 9-year-old told police the others went upstairs first and when he joined them the girl was already performing oral sex on one of the boys.
He said he went into the room and played video games with the other child.
The girl then performed the sex act on a 13-year-old boy and on the 9-year-old. He told police he did not want to participate but was pressured to.
The age of the third boy was believed to be around the same as the others. Police were trying to identify him.
The girl, interviewed at her home with her mother, told police the group watched a movie, went upstairs to play video games and the boys forced her to perform the sex acts, Conlon said.
The 13-year-old boy, when interviewed by police, also said they watched a movie and went to play video games, but insisted the girl "made them do it" and there was no coercion, Conlon said.
