There are no Amber Alerts for children who are held hostage in their own homes. Yet, an estimated 90% of all victims of child sexual abuse are victims of adults they know and trust. Most often, the predators are the very adults who should love and protect them: parents and other family members. Many times they are others in a child's circle of trust, such as coaches, teachers, counselors and clergy. And very often, our laws actually protect these predators with the lightest sentencing of all. Since 2002, PROTECT has fought legal loopholes protecting criminals who abuse positions of trust or authority. From Arkansas to Illinois and California to New York, we have reformed outrageous laws in six states… and we're just getting started.

In a powerful and exclusive new essay, PROTECT national advisory board member Andrew Vachss has written about PROTECT's latest victory, in his home state of New York. It was a victory close to the attorney and author's heart. Another PROTECT national advisory board member, Ruby Andrew, has written the most authoritative and comprehensive analysis ever of the history and legal underpinnings of the incest loophole laws that PROTECT has been fighting. On this page, we have also included a link to our partial roundup of American laws that reward the most unthinkable, and criminal, betrayal of children.