TN--Non-profit should ‘reach out’ to other victims
For immediate release: Thursday, Sept. 17
Statement by David Clohessy of St. Louis, director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those abused by Priests (314 566 9790, [email protected])
A former Memphis college student and Big Brothers/Big Sisters volunteer was convicted Thursday of raping a 7-year-old boy. Officials with the school and the non-profit should aggressively reach out to others who may have been hurt by Christopher Bostick.
All too often, when child molesters are caught, their supervisors and colleagues clam up. But if kids are to be safer, everyone who saw, suspected or suffered child sex crimes must call law enforcement immediately. And those who hire or work with predators must do all they can to find others who have been assaulted and beg them to call law enforcement.
We hope that no one at LeMoyne or at Big Brothers/Big Sisters ignored or concealed Bostick’s crimes. We hope police and prosecutors have or will closely investigate this possibility. We hope that officials at the college and the agency will find the courage to do what’s right – search for and help anyone else who is in pain because of Bostick.
And we hope that those who Bostick assaulted will urge the judge to levy a harsh sentence that will keep this predator away from kids for a long time.
(SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is the world’s oldest and largest support group for clergy abuse victims. SNAP was founded in 1988 and has more than 20,000 members. Despite the word “priest” in our title, we have members who were molested by religious figures of all denominations, including nuns, rabbis, bishops, and Protestant ministers. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)
Contact - David Clohessy (314-566-9790 cell, [email protected], [email protected]), Barbara Dorris (314-503-0003 cell, [email protected]), Barbara Blaine (312-399-4747, [email protected])
Former mentor convicted in rape of 7-year-old boy
by Katie Fretland of the Commercial Appeal, Posted: September 17, 2015 4:07 PM
A former mentor was convicted Thursday of raping a 7-year-old boy.
The victim said Christopher Bostick raped him on Oct. 10, 2012 at his home.
Bostick was 21 years old and met the victim through the local Big Brothers Big Sisters organization, according to the office of the Shelby County District Attorney General. He was described as the boy’s “role model or mentor,” in an affidavit.
Bostick, now 24 years old, is . . .
Winter Appeal 2023
To our friends,
2023 has been a long year with many ups and downs for us all. As we close out the year, we at SNAP hope that you are feeling like you are on your way to being healthy, fulfilled, and happy. This past year has brought both successes and challenges. Thanks to the support you have shown in the past, we’ve been able to celebrate the good days and weather the stormy ones. Now, we are once again asking for your support as we work to support survivors new and old as we ‘Move SNAP Forward.’
At SNAP we are proud to have hosted a very well-attended conference in August 2023. This event allowed us to gather friends, survivors, advocates, and allies for a weekend of camaraderie and connection. We were so happy to be able to welcome many first-time attendees to gather in person and are already looking forward to the next conference.
To strengthen our movement for justice, healing, and prevention, SNAP will be expanding our peer support and providing more volunteer opportunities in the coming year. Through this great work, we are ensuring survivor voices are represented as we work for significant change that will benefit children and survivors.
Right now, survivors worldwide are getting the help they need from SNAP, and more and more reach out to us daily, but we need your help to keep those programs going and get our volunteers the training they need to thrive.
Your tax-deductible gift to SNAP can help offset the cost of our important mission. If you are not in a position to contribute, you can still support us by sharing this letter with those who can. As we continue to fight for survivors across the globe, your donation or sharing the great work SNAP does will help us continue our work to protect the vulnerable, heal the wounded, and prevent abuse.
Your donation ensures SNAP will be there for those who need us more than ever!
Warmly,
Michael W. McDonnell, C.P.S.
Interim Executive Director
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