Lovefraud Blog

Former Penn State football coach charged with sexually assaulting boys

November 7, 2011 // by Donna Andersen// 197 Comments

Pennsylvania State University, home of the storied Nittany Lions football team and its legendary coach, Joe Paterno, was rocked by allegations that one of Paterno's former assistants, Jerry Sandusky, was charged with sexually assaulting eight young, disadvantaged boys. The point of the article I posted earlier today, about former Pennsylvania State Senator Vincent Fumo, was abuse of power. This sex abuse scandal is a variation of the same theme. Sandusky's inappropriate behavior went on for years, probably because no one wanted to challenge a football dynasty. According to the grand jury report: • In 1998, Sandusky brought an 11-year-old boy into a Penn State locker room shower …

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A powerful sociopath taken down, and why we need to understand him

November 7, 2011 // by Donna Andersen// 6 Comments

It's been awhile since I wrote about Vince Fumo, former Pennsylvania State Senator, representing Philadelphia, and now a resident of the federal prison camp in Ashland, Kentucky. In 2009, he was convicted of 137 counts of fraud, conspiracy, tax offenses and obstruction of justice. His crimes cost taxpayers and nonprofit organizations $4 million. Yet he received a sentence of only 55 months, which many, including me, considered to be a mere slap on the wrist. Federal prosecutors were so outraged at the leniency of Judge Ronald L. Buckwalter's sentence that they actually appealed it. The feds won. The appellate court found that Buckwalter had erred, and on Wednesday, Fumo will be in court …

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Identifying speech patterns of psychopaths

November 5, 2011 // by Donna Andersen// 47 Comments

Researchers used a computer analysis to compare the language of psychopathic and nonpsychopathic murderers. They discovered distinct differences. Read Psychopaths' words expose predatory mind on Futurity.org. Link supplied by a Lovefraud reader. …

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RESOURCES PERSPECTIVES: Judges are practicing mental health without a license

November 4, 2011 // by Lovefraud Reader// 83 Comments

Editor's note: Resource Perspectives features articles written by members of Lovefraud's Professional Resources Guide. Rebecca Potter works as a licensed mental health counselor in West Palm Beach, Florida. She can be reached at: tlc211@gmail.com. Judge William Adams shown beating his daughter with a belt on YouTube By Rebecca Potter Rebecca Potter profile in the Lovefraud Professional Resources Guide As I saw the following video and commentary on CNN last night, I could not sleep. It appears that the sheriff in the town of Rockport, Texas has received countless calls of concern about Judge William Adams, who was shown beating his daughter with a belt on YouTube. Judge Adams …

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Is this judge a sociopath?

November 3, 2011 // by Liane Leedom, M.D.// 79 Comments

Those abused by family members and romantic partners seek information on this site trying to understand the personality of their abuser. They wonder is he/she a sociopath? Does a personality disorder explain why this happened to me? The answers to these questions are often hard to come by. Experts require “proof” of a set of personality traits before diagnosing someone with a disorder. Yet in my opinion, we have an obligation to the victims of abuse to explain to them that abusers are not “normal” people who are simply misguided in their attempts to “help” others. Abuse is often perpetrated by sociopaths under the guise of “helping.” This week a young lady 23-year-old Hillary Adams, pos …

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Online Dating Scams: Don’t Get Caught

November 3, 2011 // by Lovefraud Reader// 19 Comments

By Brittany Lyons For many busy people, online dating has become a normal or even preferred method for meeting potential love matches, and it's easy to see why it's so popular. Singles are often bombarded with stories of success featuring married couples who met online, and continue to live happily ever after, so they don't see the possible harm. However, because of the anonymity offered by the Internet, it's easy for predators and scammers alike to misrepresent themselves. Both are impossible to identify 100% of the time, which is why it's best to avoid online dating. But if you do choose to try it out, there are a few things you can do to protect yourself from scammers. If you aren't …

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Woman gets caught in dating scam

November 3, 2011 // by Lovefraud Reader// 35 Comments

If you think real people don't get caught in dating scams, think again. Lovefraud heard from a woman who thought she met the soldier pictured above online. Actually, she met a group of scammers from Ghana. Here's what she wrote: According to a USAA Fraud Investigator 15 women scattered across the US (I was one of them) were recently scammed by a group from Ghana. I am not trying to get my money back, etc. In fact, I am being forced to file for bankruptcy. What I am trying to do is help the Active Duty Army Master Sergeant who is in ALL the pictures these scammers still use! I saw a recent one posted under two i had added to one scam website. In fact, it could have been his recent re …

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Finding my strength because of the psychopath

November 2, 2011 // by Donna Andersen// 8 Comments

It seems odd, Sarah Strudwick writes, but she has to give the psychopath credit for forcing her to find her own strength. And, Sarah has found a song that captures exactly what happened. Read Say thank you to the psychopath, on WakingYouUp.wordpress.com. …

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This Little Light Of Mine

November 1, 2011 // by Mel Carnegie// 30 Comments

Today's article was inspired by a post by Respite From Sociopathic Behaviour. Stating a fact I believe to be absolutely true, the post says: “After narcissistic abuse there is light, life and love. Do not live in fear of the past — it didn't last. YOU did!” It made me smile — because these days I absolutely know this to be true. Believe me, there have been countless times when I could never even have imagined I would be able to experience any of those things again. The dark times have been overwhelming — not only after I escaped and realised the truth about my relationship, but also, as I now recognize, during the times I thought I was happy living with my ex. In those days, though …

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The pastor and the Ponzi scheme

October 31, 2011 // by Donna Andersen// 29 Comments

Pastor Michael Wilkerson of the New Millennium Life Restoration Fellowship in Spring City, Pennsylvania, preached the “prosperity gospel.” The basic idea is this: God wants his followers to be prosperous, and they can find the road to wealth in faith, positive thinking and contributions to the church. This is what Wilkerson preached, and he followed up by inviting congregants to invest in his company, which was acquiring suburban mortgages. Last month, however, federal prosecutors accused Wilkerson and two others of conspiring in a $6.3 million mortgage fraud. The congregants have lost everything. The whole story appeared in yesterday's Philadelphia Inquirer. What I found really int …

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Donna Andersen on Red Flags of Love Fraud #1: Charisma and charm: “Sept4 – yes, charm is the #1 trait. But for someone to be a sociopath, they need much of the…”
Donna Andersen on Manipulation, victim-blaming and deeper meaning: “OKnow – thank you so much for your insight. Yes, they target our vulnerabilities. But guess what – to be…”
Donna Andersen on Manipulation, victim-blaming and deeper meaning: “Sept4 – Pain grabs our attention. We do learn from our painful experiences, but it’s no fun. I do believe,…”
sept4 on 20 Issues to consider before taking a sociopath to court: “I just came across this lawyer article on a law firm website from Massachusetts. This is a really good description.…”
sept4 on Red Flags of Love Fraud #1: Charisma and charm: “They are charming so they can con us. Charm is just a manipulation technique. I hate charming people now. I’d…”