Kenneth Dean: On the Scene

In an age where technology touches our fingertips, one might ask why people are not protecting themselves with a few simple keystrokes on a computer.

Statistically, a woman is battered every 15 seconds, but can information on the Internet help lower that number?

Counselors dealing with victims of domestic violence are now encouraging women to use search engines online to learn details about their perspective beaus.

With a click of a mouse, a person can now search jail records and learn if someone has been charged or convicted of a crime.

Many businesses have been checking the background of potential employees for several years using different Web sites geared for such purposes.

Kimberly Krueger, East Texas family violence program coordinator, said using the Internet to conduct research on a person before beginning a serious relationship is a good idea, and most people now have access to a computer.

"It is a wise thing to do, and it is something we do with our clients. We help them see the red flags and the warning signs of an abusive person," she said. "Don't be afraid of asking questions and doing some checking on a person because these records are public information and can be accessed by all of us."

During the past few months, there have been several cases where a woman has been murdered by the person she was dating.

In these cases, the suspects have had previous convictions for spousal abuse, but in at least two cases, the men hid their criminal records from the women they dated.

The last of such cases involved a longtime award-winning Texas Child Protective Services caseworker, who also volunteered at a shelter for battered women.

According to an Associated Press article, 44-year-old Terry Lee of Conroe, died of the burns she received when her boyfriend of three months, John Marshall Dodd, 42, allegedly doused her in gasoline and then lit her on fire after an argument this past weekend.

Co-workers and family have speculated that Ms. Lee did not know about Dodd's past and was fooled by his demeanor after meeting him at a local gym.

However, others have said she might have been manipulated into believing Dodd had changed and expressed sorrow for his past, which included assaulting two former spouses and breaking into a home with the intent to commit sexual assault in 1992. Dodd's mug shot and record appear on the Texas Department of Public Safety's Web site for sexual offenders.

Ms. Krueger believes both scenarios in the Lee case could be true.

"This is devastating to see the victims we see on a daily basis," she said. "This shows that anyone can be fooled by another party."

In another case, a woman found out about her boyfriend's past and broke off the relationship. He allegedly retaliated by gunning her down in the CNN Plaza in Atlanta, Ga., earlier this year.

Both men remain jailed while they await their trials.

Ms. Krueger said that everyone should educate themselves about how to use simple technology to protect ourselves, but added human nature wants to see the best in those around us and give everyone a second chance. "We want to believe the best in all people, and that is a wonderful quality that can be taken advantage of. A lot of times the perpetrators know just how to play the victim."

According to the U.S. Justice Department,, family violence accounted for 11 percent of all reported and unreported violence between 1998 and 2002.

The report also showed about 22 percent of murders in 2002 were committed by family members and that of the nearly 500,000 men and women in state prisons for a violent crime in 1997, 15 percent were there for a violent crime against a family member.

Ms. Krueger said the problem is more education is needed.

"I think the challenge here is making sure that everyone is aware that the technology is out there, and then teaching them how to use it," she said. "Unfortunately, these perpetrators are also good at what they do, and even though they may be found out, they are good at manipulating others into believing they have changed."

She also suggested women and men arm themselves with the warning signs of a potentially abusive personality which include lying, quick loss of temper and obsessive behavior.

"Ultimately it can happen to anyone, and no one is beyond the reach of such violent crimes," she said. "These perpetrators are not some big burly men lurking around darks corners. They are the ones we see each day at work, at the grocery store and in our neighborhoods."

For more information about warning signs of abuse please visit the East Texas Crisis Center online at http:/-/www.etcc.org/index.

Kenneth Dean is a reporter for the Tyler Paper.
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