KSN/KODE — Videos of a convicted child molester divulging the tactics he used to target little boys are trending on social media. Jack Reynolds was interviewed by an investigator in 2017 after serving almost 13 years in prison for being convicted of child molestation in Indiana. His videos have resurfaced and been shared on TikTok, warning parents about people like himself.

Jack claims to be reformed and hopes that sharing the tactics he used to groom and target children will keep parents aware of those out there, preying on children.

Preying On Fatherless Children

In the interview, Jack says grooming was a very calculated and planned process that would not happen overnight. He targeted split families and boys who were isolated.

“If I thought the father was a threat, I would not approach the child. If I thought the child had friends that he would tell, I would not approach him,” Jack said. “No spiritual values, weak in education, needs help in many ways…a mother who may be having problems with the family, here comes a superhero in to help out, no problem. If you ever need me to take him away for a night out, no problem.”

He says the tactics he used worked.

His acts of molestation started in high school, he said. He was given access to young boys through sports teams by way of umpiring little league, refereeing intermural games, and managing sports teams with coaches.

Over time, Jack targeted small towns believing small police forces didn’t deal with child molesters often and he would be able to get away with the crimes. When suspicions arose, he would leave those towns immediately.

Praise and Favoritism

Jack found his victims while moving from town to town. He sought them out on school grounds, baseball fields, and around his neighborhoods.

To get children alone, Jack says he would first analyze their personal lives.

“I would check out their family situation, I would check out their clothing, see how well they were financially. I would check out their social interactions with other kids, you know. When we were on the ballparks, or on the gym floor I would make sure the ones I wanted to molest, I would give them special attention,” he said.

Victim selection, special attention, and isolation are common forms of grooming child predators use to gain a victim’s trust.

Social Media: A Deadly Tool

When asked about social media, Jack says he struggles with the number of lives he could have destroyed if he had access to social media.

“Sexual contact by way of social media would’ve been a very deadly tool for me,” he said.

He says he would watch broadcasted sports on TV and fantasize about the players he saw.

“Social media is a killer. The child does not understand thoroughly or cannot get it through the long-term consequences of what the child is getting into,” Jack said. “The adult, on the other hand, knows exactly what he is doing from the get-go.”

Prevention & Protection

Children do not self-report sexual abuse and prevention is always an adult’s responsibility. Research shows 1 in 4 children are sexually abused before their 18th birthday.

If you suspect a child has been sexually abused, you can find a list of signs, symptoms, and resources by following this link here to the Children Center’s website, a local Four State child advocacy center that provides victim assistance services.

“If a sex offender wants to violate, if a sex offender wants to offend somebody, if a sex offender wants to hurt another child, a sex offender is going to do it no matter what,” Jack said.