Anyone else?

raphjd

@bc22

What are you asking?

I'm always interested in this kind of thing.

Just that, anyone else here that also survived Brother Tony (and more). There were lots of us, most of who are not named (nor was interviewed) specifically in the book.

There is a lot missing, and the author is disingenuously fond of using the word disingenuously.

The day the story broke in the newspaper that Tony Leyva was arrested, I clipped it and sent it to dad to prove I (edit: and my stepbrothers) should not have been punished by my stepmother for lying about a man of the cloth. Tony died in prison.

The betrayal by family was much worst. How does a kid even know the words I tried to express?

Edit to add: The author of the book Mike Echols died a while back.

Several abusers are still alive. Was livid to find out one of them was still "preaching", taking advantage of technology to offer video sermons from his digital pulpit. He was 28 when I was 11.

Somewhere in the love and hate relationship with Google, a telephone number was found and double-checked for him, and the details on charity filings and other paperwork matched some things that this 11 year old boy memorized back then.

One day, the dial volume was turned up, and numbers danced on the old telephone.

Woman: Hello?

Ricky: Hi . . . um, is this the number for Jxxxx Fxx?

Mrs. Fxx: Yes, this is his wife.

Ricky: Oh hi! Has Jxxxx ever been to Ohio?

Mrs. Fxx: No, I don't think so. Who is this?

Ricky: I'm just wanting to talk with him if he's ever been to Ohio.

Mrs. Fxx: I don't think he has. You'll have to call back later.

Ricky: Ok thank you.

Hangs up.

Just could not take a chance on making a victim of an innocent. Have not tried that since.

One of my friends from high school works in the justice system here in Ohio. She has had to deal with all kinds of stories, and I spilled mine one day with her. As comforting it was to confide in her, it was not good to hear that so much has fallen outside of what is called the Statute of Limitations. In some areas, that has been temporarily lifted at times, but not for us.

Just don't like the possibility he and others are still doing what he did to me and my step brothers, but can hope that if they are, they would have been caught long before now. They still need to answer for the past, but not according to the law.

There is a lot to be said for moving on.