The Network got started in 1991 when a three year old child testified about the sexual abuse perpetrated upon the child by the biological father. A Ross County judge, even after finding that “something has happened to this child” nonetheless forced the child to return to the father. Upon being forced to visit with the man again and after again returning with a physical injury associated with sexual victimization, the child reported that the man had “hurt me again” and stated that “the judge is a bad man because he made me go back”. Six courageous, persistent and very bright women, who cared very much about this child, decided it was time to join forces. Because they knew from experience that our society and many of its agencies are failing to prevent, intervene in, or prosecute child abuse cases, these dedicated women stepped in on behalf of this abused child and the non-offending parent who had been cited for contempt when she had initially refused to send the child back into the abuse.
Within the next several years, at least two other pre-school children who were already known by Children’s Services to be at serious risk, were murdered by their perpetrators. When prosecuting authorities initially declined to prosecute the murderers, Network volunteers worked with victims and the media to organize the evidence that was eventually used to obtain convictions.
Although the Network’s focus has been on the criminal justice system, over time we have come to understand that a child can be kept safe without the perpetrator having to go to the penitentiary, and without the stress on the vulnerable child victim of having to wait out a lengthy prosecution in which the burden of proof beyond a reasonable doubt may be very difficult to sustain. Children who cry out to be protected from an identified perpetrator can and should be immediately protected in domestic and juvenile courts, where the burden of proof is much lower, because the identified perpetrator cannot be punished criminally in those courts. The Network recognizes that evidence is never perfect, and that no case is 100% clearcut. Nevertheless we believe that in a civilized society, all doubt should be resolved in favor of a child’s safety.
Initially, the Network was known as the Ross County Network for the Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse, and received its non-profit corporate 501(c)(3) status from the IRS on October 24, 1994.
Portia Davis became the first Executive Director of the Network. With the guidance of its executive board and under Davis’s leadership, the Network served 37 Ohio counties and numerous other states and two foreign countries via internet. Physical offices were initially located on Walnut Street, and then in the Carlisle Building.
In August, 1998, the Network changed its official name to The Ross County Network for Children in an effort to simplify and to emphasize that the Network advocates for all types of children’s issues.
In 1999 the office of the Ohio Attorney General, which had been funding the Network for several years, revoked our funding in connection with strong political pressure from the State of California where the Network had been advocating for the children of a non-offending caregiver active in the national child advocacy movement, after the caregiver had been stripped of custody of her children and unlimited access granted to the children’s identified perpetrator. After several years of being unable to pay its operating expenses, in 2005 the Network became financially independent of Ohio Attorney General funding, and became fully reinstated with the IRS and the Ohio Secretary of State.
The Network hopes to now be able to advocate freely for the rights of children to be safe and for the First Amendment rights of their caregivers to advocate for these children without fear of retaliation. The Network is still reachable at its former telephone number of (740) 773-2587.
