Tyler Police Department spokesperson Andy Erbaugh said it’s imperative for parents and guardians to do whatever they can to keep their children safe.
TYLER, Texas — In the wake of the tragic death of 11-year-old Audrii Cunningham, questions have arisen regarding the circumstances surrounding her passing and the lack of registration for her alleged killer as a sex offender despite his previous conviction involving a minor.
Don Steven McDougal, 42, of Livingston, is charged with capital murder of a person younger than 15 in connection with Audrii’s death. She was found dead Tuesday in the Trinity River under US-59 in Polk County.
While answers to those questions remain unknown currently, there are steps parents can take to protect their children from sexual predators.
“Around 90% of the time a child knows who the person is that’s abusing them,” said Ramsey Wilson, lead community educator at the Children’s Advocacy Center of Smith County.
Wilson said it’s important for parents to be vigilant for signs of sexual abuse.
“You could see a child start to have maybe a decline in school, some drastic behavior changes. If maybe a child has already been potty trained and they start bedwetting or having accident,” Wilson said, urging parents to take such signs seriously as children typically do not fabricate claims of abuse.
Tyler Police Department spokesperson Andy Erbaugh said it’s imperative for parents and guardians to do whatever they can to keep their children safe.
“… Whether it’s from hitching a ride with somebody they don’t know, whether it’s talking to strangers, whether it’s taking things from strangers that they give them,” Erbaugh said.
Erbaugh also highlighted the importance of open communication with children about safety measures. He pointed to the Texas Department of Public Safety’s website as a valuable resource, where parents can access information about registered sex offenders in their area by entering their zip code. That link can be found here.
Contrary to common belief, Erbaugh clarified that sex offenders are not prohibited from being near schools but must adhere to certain restrictions.
“Sex offenders can go anywhere. They can’t reside or visit or temporarily reside in a child safety zone for more than seven days. But sex offenders have children, too, sometimes, and they have them at schools. They can go to a school, but they have to check in at the office,” Erbaugh said.
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