What is Grooming? And how an Alleged Predator Operated in The Rock Ministries at David Platt’s McLean Bible

This post is about grooming and it looks at an alleged sexual predator that has been badly mishandled by David Platt’s McLean Bible. Scott Woods is an African-American volunteer who was involved in The Rock Ministries. Its possible that Scott allegedly groomed at least 20 to 25 teenagers at McLean Bible and if your family was affected by this alleged predator then contact Fairfax County Police.

“In order to escape accountability for his crimes, the perpetrator does everything in his power to promote forgetting. If secrecy fails, the perpetrator attacks the credibility of his victim. If he cannot silence her absolutely, he tries to make sure no one listens.”

Judith Lewis Herman

I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me.
6 I will not fear though tens of thousands assail me on every side.

Psalm 3:5-6 NIV 

McLean Bible Church on a Sunday morning….

This post is going to be difficult to write and it will be dark. But for the safety of those at McLean Bible and those who recently left this information needs to be communicated. There was an alleged sexual predator in The Rock Ministries. To read the story you can do so in, “How David Platt Never Learned From the Mark Aderholt Situation. The Disturbing Story of how McLean Bible Mishandled Scott Woods, an Alleged Predator in The Rock Ministries.” 

 

What is Grooming? 

Grooming is a process of where a predator targets and prepares a soon to be victim for sexual abuse. When a person is groomed they are targeted by a perpetrator and they secure the victim’s trust while working to isolate the victim. In the process the perpetrator operates in secret without many people knowing what is going on. Grooming can happen on the internet or in person.

The United States Department of Justice defines grooming as the following. “Grooming is a method used by offenders that involves building trust with a child and the adults around a child in an effort to gain access to and time alone with her/him. In extreme cases, offenders may use threats and physical force to sexually assault or abuse a child. More common, though, are subtle approaches designed to build relationships with families. The offender may assume a caring role, befriend the child or even exploit their position of trust and authority to groom the child and/or the child’s family. These individuals intentionally build relationships with the adults around a child or seek out a child who is less supervised by adults in her/his life. This increases the likelihood that the offender’s time with the child is welcomed and encouraged.” 

For a predator the purpose of grooming is the following. To reduce the likelihood of the child speaking out and to manipulate adults around the child. Also a child can be manipulated into becoming a willing participant and the abuse is often kept hidden. Some examples of grooming that should raise suspicions are the following: 

• An adult seems overly interested in a child.
• An adult frequently initiates or creates opportunities to be alone with a child (or multiple children).
• An adult becomes fixated on a child.
• An adult gives special privileges to a child (e.g., rides to and from practices, etc.).
• An adult befriends a family and shows more interest in building a relationship with the child than with the adults
• An adult displays favoritism towards one child within a family.
• An adult finds opportunities to buy a child gifts.
• An adult caters to the interests of the child, so a child or the parent may initiate contact with the offender.
• An adult who displays age and gender preferences.

Also it should be pointed out that sometimes someone sexually attracted to a child can do things for different motivations. For an adult attracted to a child there can be a sexual reason as to why an adult in engaging in a particular behavior.

• Bathing a child.
• Walking in on a child changing.
• Deliberately walking in on a child toileting.
• Asking a child to watch the adult toileting.
• Ttickling and “accidentally” touching genitalia.
• Activities that involve removing clothes (massage, swimming).
• Wrestling in underwear.
• Playing games that include touching genitalia (playing doctor).
• Telling a child sexually explicit jokes.
• Teasing a child about breast and genital development.
• Discussing sexually explicit information under the guise of
  education.
• Showing the child sexually explicit images.
• Taking pictures of children in underwear, bathing suits, dance wear, etc

All of this information I obtained from a solid article that was found on the American Bar Association website which you can access here. 

 

Scott Wood’s Modus Operandi at McLean Bible’s The Rock

Scott Woods is an African-American professional in his mid 30’s who lives in the Washington, D.C. area. At McLean Bible Scott Woods as a volunteer ran a program that was called, “The Upper Room” for about 5 years. Scott Woods would lead small groups of about 4 to 5 guys. He spent time in parents homes and he selected the people whom he wanted to be in his groups. Scott who liked to cook for younger people also became deeply involved in their lives. Recently this blog learned  that Woods would show up at high school football practices or games and support the students. According to information that this blog obtained Scott Woods also was present at high school graduations. One family which was given 4 tickets to a graduation event worked hard to get another ticket for Scott Woods. People were flattered by his overwhelming niceness. 

Scott also pursued times to be alone with younger people. For example at one point Scott Woods allegedly rented a cabin in West Virginia to take students. However, the day before he went out to West Virginia to “prepare” the cabin. The question this blog would like to ask is if Scott Woods positioned cameras to record teenagers from The Rock Ministries who went to the cabin. This blog is under he impression that at least 25 teenagers could have been affected by Scott Woods at McLean Bible over a 4 to 5 year period. What Scot also used to do is attend art museums or gallery of Roman or Greek statues and he would take pictures of their genitalia and send those to people he was grooming. According to the law its not defined as pornography but its very questionable and troubling to hear about. 

If Your Family was Hurt by Scott Woods Contact Fairfax County Police  

This blog would like to convey the following information  to those at McLean Bible. As McLean never really shared this information with the church at large people need to be aware of this situation. The number for Fairfax County Police is 703-691-1231. You can access their website right here. According to information that this blog obtained Fairfax County Police are aware of this situation. Scott Woods is allegedly viewed as being an incredibly slick predator who covers his tracks well. Earlier Fairfax County Police went to recover Scott Woods’s computer and they learned that he destroyed it. Fairfax County Police believes that he has refined his trade craft through experience and they believe there are more victims out there. If you are involved at McLean Bible do not go to David Platt’s church if your family interacted with Scott Woods. Go straight to the Fairfax County Police. There will be a lot more about this situation with Scott Woods in the near future with more blog posts.