A Daring Fight for Freedom #SilentFreedomFighter

The following narrative is challenging to read and painful to comprehend- yet I urge you to read this story in its entirety. It's difficult as a friend to stand outside of this situation and feel so angry, sad, and helpless. It is largely the brokenness of our justice system that enabled a monster to groom and exploit a little girl, to then manipulate and attempt to trap the young woman, and now to continue a pursuit of intimidation- even as his power slips away.

These are my friend's words, and this is her fight. Please hear this and take it to heart. She needs all the help and support she can get. We appreciate anything you can offer.

"The definition of being vulnerable – “capable of being physically or emotionally wounded”.

As I’m writing this, I will allow myself to be vulnerable but no longer a victim. I am a survivor. I will never again allow another person to control and destroy my life.

I am a woman going through something I don’t wish upon anyone. Over the last year and a half, I went from being a victim to being a survivor. That doesn’t mean I don’t have hard days, and I still face challenges every single day to get over a decade of trauma at the hands of a man that once dated my mother, and I was good friends with his daughter. With the help from family and friends and a lot of therapy along with spiritual guidance, I know I am strong enough to come out and ask for help. There are certain things I’m still not allowed to say due to an open court case. I’m not allowed to say his name, nor am I allowed to give specific details of the case. What I can do is provide background information and current information of the fight that I continue to not give up on every day. This is me being 100% vulnerable. A man, who I’ll refer to as X for “a predator”, I knew as a child when I was only eight years old. My parents had just divorced, and my mother started dating X. He had a daughter the same age as me and we became very close friends. After a few years my mother and X. stopped dating. In that time, he took this opportunity to enter my life and begin the process of grooming me. As I got older this man became overly friendly with me in a touchy way and it made me feel very uncomfortable. He always wanted me to sit on his lap and give him hugs. X always told me that if I ever needed anything just ask and he would take care of it. While in my teens, X contacted me and said that If I needed help now that he would help me if I did certain things with him in exchange. Just so you know, X is 47 years older than me. I refused and chose a different path; well, that path didn’t go as planned either and I needed help being on my own in the “grown up world.” I was 17 living near the beach and working two jobs. This was when the torturous manipulation and exploitation started. He still seemed too always be around. When I got stuck in a situation he was there to help and from then on, I was trapped. After he had helped me, X told me that I now owed him. Owing him turned into sexual favors, whether I liked it or not. Remember, X was 47 years older than me and he used to be my mother’s boyfriend. I remember the first incident and how I felt so sick, alone and lost. I didn’t know where to go or who to tell. Feeling so ashamed, I kept it to myself and didn’t want anyone to know what I had to do to survive. Any sexual encounter gave him more power and more control to alienate and manipulate me. I would have sex with him, and he would give me money. He forced me into his own personal prostitute. He destroyed me, he owned me at this point, with what I thought to be no way out. So much that I because numb and terrified to speak up. X had destroyed my self-esteem and made me totally dependent on him. I was abused and taken advantage of, mentally, emotionally, and physically.

Fast forward to ten whole years later. Ten years of being X’s possession/puppet’ I finally got out! Through one of the hardest times of my life I leaned on family and friends who I never thought would understand or whom might judge me for what I had to endure for ten years, but they stood there by my side to help me get through. I needed to fight for my freedom not only for myself but for my son too. X is not my son’s father, Thank God. I went to the police and the courts; I was granted a protection order for myself and my son. This was one of the hardest steps, it was finally me standing up for myself. Without a doubt I knew this man would be

angry and come after me in any way possible. He did. He sent naked pictures he had of me to people I knew to embarrass me. He spread lies to family and friends, anything you can think of he did. I thought we were finally free of this awful person but as I tried moving on with my life to marry the most supportive and amazing man, I found out I had already been legally married. Shocking news to me. I hired a lawyer to help me finally get rid of this man. He refused a divorce unless I did what he wanted. He was requesting I dropped the only protection my son and I had from him, the protection order. Without a doubt, that wasn’t in the cards! Mind you I have never lived with him or was in a “married’ life. So here I am a year and half later fighting him in court to just leave my son and me alone. Let myself and my family move past this nightmare. Being the Narcissistic person he is, he will not allow that. Everything that has happened in divorce court that hasn’t gone his way (everything) he has appealed or asked for continuances. At this point the harm he can cause me is mentally and financially. Each time I must go to court it reopens wounds that are close to healing. Thankfully court is done via court call, so I don’t have to see or be near him. My family and I are safe, and that is what matters the most. I will never give up fighting for our safety and freedom. X continuing to take me to court and refusing to agree to what the Judge orders; the countless continuances and appeals have hit my family and me very hard. We are doing all we can to pay for his evilness but as time goes on, so do the fees. Both court and attorney. I have hit a point where I cannot keep paying to fight for my freedom. I’m asking if anyone can help to please do so. Anything would be greatly appreciated. People like X thrive off causing pain. If you’re not able to help financially, I ask that you put us in your prayers as we keep fighting for our safety, and one day I hope to receive justice."

Please post with hashtags and link. Due to the severity of the situation, we are keeping names out for the family's protection, as she fears X will do something more! While there is still much she must remain silent about, she is reclaiming her power and is determined to fight.

#silentfight #groomed #DVsurvivor #Justice #protection #strong #SilentFreedomFighter