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Question: Working with someone with a history of abusing children!?
I work in a company where my duties include Marketing and HR responsibilities!. To give a little background, I am usually out doing Marketing in the afternoon and a co-worker of mine has recently had a serious health issue and I have been asked to close our office on Friday afternoons with a secretary I'll call W!. W!. (who is male) and I were alone in the office for hours on end on Friday because it was so slow!. I was looking at crime statistics on our local PD website and came across the link for registered sex offenders!. I did a search in my zip code and guess who pops up!? None other than W!. he has a felony conviction for sexual abuse on a child!. Immediately I felt VERY uncomfortable!. I was molested as a child and then raped my first year of college!. Should I go to my boss with this issue and ask that someone else stay here as well!? Or am I just coming off as a whiny brat who doesn't want to close on Friday afternoons!. I don't want to get the guy in trouble, but I have no idea how I am going to be here and functioning when it is only the two of us in the office on Friday afternoons!. Thoughts!? Advice!? I know I am not a child, I am a 30 year old woman!. However, most sexual predators reoffend and I really dont' want to be put in a position where I am alone with him!. I'm not saying anything will happen (never had a bad feeling about the guy, in fact I never would have guessed this in a million years), it's just the thought of being alone with someone who has been convicted (not just accused) of abusing a child sexually makes me feel ill and brings back a lot of things I thought I had left in my past!. Yes I have been to counselling, it this stuff does not affect me on a day to day basis!. But having to confront these feelings again is not pleasent!. Www@QuestionHome@Com


Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
Oh my goodness --- that would be shocking and uncomfortable!. As a fellow child sexual abuse survivor, I can very well understand just how uncomfortable you are feeling!.

Yes, by all means, speak to your boss about this information, but do not disclose that your discomfort is due to issues from your past!. No explanation needed, really!. Most people would feel extremely awkward and uncomfortable to be left alone with a convicted sex offender, even people who have never been abused or violated!.

But, surely this information was on the man's application --if not, well that would be grounds for termination because that means that he falsified his application and basically lied!.

In the meantime, use your tools to strengthen yourself and protect yourself, including your inner child!. Be kind to yourself right now because many feeling and emotions are going to start bubbling to the surface -- many you may have thought were dealt with and put to rest will most definitely start bubbling, boiling to the surface!.

Take care, be safe!.Www@QuestionHome@Com