Attorney | Author of Inverted Reality | Child Safety Advocate

Every Day, Parents Drop Their Kids Off at Schools and Other Youth-Serving Organizations.

And many wrongly assume robust safeguards exist to prevent a child predator from grooming and then sexually abusing them.

The reality: most sexual abuse prevention policies are aimed at what to do after a report of abuse is made. By that time—due to the secretive nature of this particular type of predator—dozens of children may have already been abused countless times.

Jeff Meyer is focused on understanding and disrupting the root cause of sexual abuse at youth-serving organizations. He is an attorney licensed in Arizona, who has represented clients throughout the United States.

“After they’re caught, only about 1 in 4 institutional offenders say abuse had nothing to do with why they chose their role.”

Read that again—because it changes prevention.

If we keep designing safeguards for “rare accidents,” we will keep missing the fact that youth-serving organizations are a magnet for one of the most dangerous predators of children.

Source: In the cited UK sample summarized by the Australian Institute of Criminology, 25% said abuse had ‘nothing to do’ with their motivation; 15% ‘specifically chose’ the role to abuse; 42% said it was ‘at least part’; 20% were unsure.” Australian Institute of Criminology

  • Most YSO predators abuse dozens of victims before being caught.

  • Targeting is patterned, not random.

  • The vast majority of predators are known and trusted by the victim and their family.

Sexual Abuse Happens at Youth-Serving Organizations Because We Have Been Solving For the Wrong Problem.

Most institutions act like abuse prevention is a matter of catching a “bad apple” with a background check or waiting for “notice” or a red-flag about a specific abuser.


But the research and the case patterns show something else: offenders seek roles that give them access, trust, privacy, and repeat opportunity.

The Hidden YSO Sexual Predator

75% of predators in youth-serving organizations who are eventually caught admit - or refuse to deny - that they joined the organization in order to abuse children.

You almost never can't find them, they systematically blend in. They are teachers-of-the-year, they are not usually detectable.

The Average Number of YSO Abuse Victims

Studies show there's an average of 21.3 different victims for each youth-serving organization predator before they are caught.

In another sample, an initial 15 victims per perpetrator at assessment was raised to 48 victims admitted during treatment.

This means waiting for a report of abuse means many children will already likely have been abused, many times.

Reporting Is A Late Stage Sign of System Failure

85% of child abuse victims never report their abuse.

55-70% of survivors who do report the abuse delay reporting it.

40-50 years old: the average age of a survivor reporting childhood sexual abuse.

The Data You May Have Never Heard

21.3 average different victims per offender
In one institutional-offender dataset, perpetrators disclosed an average of 21.3 child victims (range 3–102).

Note: Disclosure usually understates the real count


In another sample, disclosures rose from 15 victims at initial assessment to 48 later during treatment.

16.2 years on average before a perpetrator is caught after they start abusing children
Research summarized by the Australian Institute of Criminology reports an average of about 16.2 years operating in youth-serving organizations before being caught (in that research, “caught” is generally tied to arrest/conviction). This only counts those who are caught, many are not caught.

3.75% of all adults were physically sexually abused in connection with a youth-serving organization, a place where non-parental adults come into contact and form relationships with children while parents or legal guardians are absent.

75% of all “caught” institutional perpetrators admitted, or at minimum refused to deny, that they joined the youth-serving organization specifically in order to sexually abuse someone else’s child.


Inverted Reality is when we trust the system… predators exploit it.

What We Assume

“If we do background checks, we’re safe.”

“It’s rare.”

“It’s one kid, one time.”

What The Data Shows

Almost all offenders have no prior conviction before institutional offending shows up.

The CDC’s current summary: at least 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 20 boys experience CSA—and ~90% is perpetrated by someone known/trusted.

When abuse happens in institutions, offender disclosures can involve dozens of victims before the predator is caught.

3.75% of the population report experiencing sexual abuse at a youth-serving organization, not grooming, but actual physical sexual abuse.  And the actual rates of abuse may be even higher.

Victim counts like “21–48” are disclosure-based and can rise over time (e.g., assessment → treatment). They reflect what offenders disclosed, not an upper bound.

Australian Institute of Criminology+1

Meet Jeffrey D. Meyer

Jeff Meyer is a partner at Lanier Meyer McBride Blair LLP, where he represents survivors of sexual abuse and assault, holding institutions accountable for preventable harm.


He’s the author of Inverted Reality, which challenges the “notice/red flag” framework and argues for structural prevention in youth organizations.

“Sexual abuse cases are, for the most part, negligence cases—and in youth‑serving organizations that means prevention is a design problem.” — Jeff

  • Partner, Lanier Meyer McBride Blair LLP (national firm focused on representing survivors of sexual abuse and assault; survivor-centered / trauma-informed)

  • Author: Inverted Reality (written to shift the conversation from “notice” to primary prevention)

  • Media-ready: brings the research, real case experience, and clear language for general audiences

“If you’re a survivor, a parent, or a journalist trying to understand what institutions keep getting wrong—this is the conversation we need to have.”

Choose Your Next Step.

For Podcasts & Media

  • 1) Request Jeff (topic + audience + preferred dates)
    2) Get a 1‑page prep sheet (stats, definitions, safe language)
    3) Record a conversation that actually helps prevention

For Survivors & Families

  • 1) Speak confidentially with the firm
    2) Investigate the institution’s failures
    3) Demand accountability

If you’re in immediate danger, call local emergency services.

A Guest Who Can Explain the Data Without Sanitizing the Stakes.

What your audience will take away

Jeff Meyer Wrote The

Book on Ending Child Sex Abuse at

Youth Serving Organizations

Inverted

Reality

By Jeffrey D. Meyer

A Revolutionary Guide To Protecting Children And Teens From Sexual Abuse At Schools, Religious Organizations, Camps, Sports Teams And Other Youth Serving Organizations. Written by one of our law partners.

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A Guest Who Can Explain the Data Without Sanitizing the Stakes.

What your audience will take away

Who This Is For—and How It Helps Prevent the Next Case

For parents: how grooming and access work in real settings

For YSO leaders: prevention that’s enforceable (not performative)

For advocates: language + research to push back on institutional minimization

Inverted Reality

  • For parents: how grooming and access work in real settings

  • For YSO leaders: prevention that’s enforceable (not performative)

  • For advocates: language + research to push back on institutional minimization

“Preventing Child Sexual Abuse at Youth Serving Organizations is… a fixable problem.”

They Hid the Truth. We Uncover It.

When institutions minimize risk, survivors pay the price.
Lanier Meyer McBride Blair LLP was built to pursue these cases with survivor-centered, trial-ready standards. Glassdoor+1

FOLLOW JEFF

SOURCES

FOR MEDIA

FOR READERS

FOR SURVIVORS

Copyright 2026. Jeffrey Donald Meyer. All Rights Reserved.

Jeffrey D. Meyer

FOLLOW JEFF

FOR MEDIA

FOR READERS

FOR SURVIVORS

SOURCES

Copyright 2026. Jeffrey Donald Meyer. All Rights Reserved.