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Keller @ Large: The Disturbing Case At Bridgewater State

BOSTON (CBS) - The details of this apparent child sexual abuse case at a Bridgewater State University day care center are so disturbing on so many levels, I barely know where to begin.

It starts with the student employee who police say told them he sexually assaulted two boys aged 4 and 5.

Kyle Loughlin
Kyle Loughlin. (WBZ-TV)

According to a Boston Globe account, a university spokeswoman has confirmed the student – who police say told them he'd been sexually attracted to young boys for up to four years and had purchased hundreds of pairs of boys underwear off the internet - passed a criminal background check before being hired, which speaks to how thin those checks are.

After all, that Lufthansa pilot had passed a background check too.

Then there's the appalling claim that a staffer at the center, alerted to the possibility of a problem by the mother of one of the boys in question, was told to keep quiet about it by the center's director, who allegedly claimed they would "handle everything within the University and not contact any outside agencies" as required by state law.

The staffer/whistle-blower told police she feared she'd be fired if she went over the director's head.

It's always troubling when people in charge of protecting children from predators fail to do so. And it's disturbing when organizations of any kind – public or private, schools or police departments or newsrooms – circle the wagons instead of confronting real failures within their ranks, moral and otherwise.

But it's downright appalling when these two problems merge.

Listen to Jon's commentary:

You can listen to Keller At Large on WBZ News Radio every weekday at 7:55 a.m. You can also watch Jon on WBZ-TV News.

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