I found this website absolutely excellent in educating both parents and children on this subject:

http://safelyeverafter.com/index.html

One of the other things I remember is that the majority of predators will go after kids whose home life isn't exactly stellar i.e. kids who are having issues with parents, etc. The closer we can keep our children and at least show the people around us that our children are 100% in our radar I think discourages a lot of predators. They want someone that is easy to groom and manipulate. A child who craves attention because they are not getting it at home. The closer and more comfortable a child feels around their parents, the more likely they will feel comfortable coming to them if this happens to them. We need to teach our children that we will believe them if they come to us. We need to teach them this is in no way their fault.

Thank you for creating your response. I'm also horrified at all the people who either claim Tayler is lying or that her mother somehow "should have known." People are so very quick to judge when they don't know the whole story. I saw nothing in the hour's show that indicated that ANYONE was lying. I also was disgusted at how people judged her mother because she "threw Tayler out of the house." I don't think any of these people have ever dealt with a drug addict, especially something as addictive as heroin. The drug abuser who has not hit rock bottom is not themselves; they live only for the drug. They lie and steal, not out of malicious intent but because they are ADDICTED TO HEROIN. Her mother obviously tried to get her help with the addiction, but Tayler left the treatment center which she is allowed to do because she is an adult. Her mother cannot force her to do anything. I can tell her mother WISHES she could force her, but she cannot. I saw one person comment that Tayler's mother should "hold her forever" and "make up for all the time she spent not being a good mother." Perhaps if Tayler hadn't been a drug addict, I can tell 100% that her mother would have done this.

I know I'm preaching to the choir, but I was almost knocked out of my seat when I read some of the insenstive comments on this board.

This family is lucky to have someone like you in their lives. I sincerely hope they are all healing from this tragedy.

You're also not "allowed" to buy or sell drugs. Sometimes the law is broken.

Sorry I haven't been on the message board for a long time. I'm happy to report that Tayler is doing really well. There is still lots of work to do but we can see so much progress. I have recieved several letters from her and she loves Hannah's House. Tayler's mother and her two sisters you saw on the show have been out there to see her. They have came back with so much renewed hope for Tayler. I thank the Lord everyday for Dr. Phil, his staff and especially Rachel that have made this possible. 


I went out to see the show and meet all at the Dr. Phil Show in December. They were amazing. There is talk of an update on Tayler. I'm not sure when they will but hope to be able to go out and see her. 


I'm so sorry for what you have gone through. I read about you on one of the other posts. I'm especailly impressed that you have not let this make you a victim.  Good for you and your sister. I wish you the best. 

what has happened to Taylor and her family is horrible and unimaginable to most.  the really sick part is Taylor only told the truth and outed her father b/c he started going after her sister.  as twisted as it is...Taylor wanted to be her fathers only "love" interest.  I'm happy she is accepting the help offered to her and hope others can see this as clearly as I do

I'm the sister of this monster. I plan on being at the parole hearing. My other siblings will be at the hearing  as well. Not to help him get out of prison but to make sure he never gets out. Our parents have pasted away but if they were still alive they would not want Russell to be out of prison either. It's a blessing that they don't have to be here to see what he has done.


The prosectors and police have been so wonderful to the family. I know they will do everything they can to make sure Russell never gets out. These people are heros and did all they could to have him put behind bars. A big thank you out to them. 


Most of all Tayler's mother and siblings will be there. We have every reason to believe that the treatment Dr. Phil has provided Tayler wil be successful. With that I know she will be there to make sure he never hurts anyone else. 


I understand why you would question if there would be anyone at the hearings. I see in the paper and on the news where they get out all the time and mostly because some family member wants them out. Not sure why they would but there is no one in Russell's family that will want him out. Pray for us that we will be successful in keeping him in prison for the rest of his life. 

I just watched this episode and I want to send out my prayers to Taylor and her family.  I know that she is going through hell and has no idea what to feel towards her father.  I just want to give her my heartfelt prayers and love and wish you all the best.  You and your family will get through this and I am thankful for people like Dr. Phil out there to help where help is needed.  God bless!  Keep us posted on how she is doing.

I know this story just ran, but do you know if they'll run an update at all on Tayler's progress.   I'm wishing her the best and sending all my positive energy her way.

It amazes me how many un-informed people make comments accusing the story of being a lie etc because they don't understand abuse.  I too was molested by my stepfather when I was 8 years old.  He used to come into my room at night when "he thought" I was sleeping.  It went on for many years.  By the time I was 12 I finally built up the courage to tell my Mom.  Nothing ever came of it.  She claimed I had never told her, which is just not true.  By the time I was 19 my mother and father divorced and every now and then she'd let him stay at the house, until one day I went into a rage and told her I didn't want him to sleep over and why.  Through all of this I found out he did the same thing to my sister.  I always thought he favored me because of what he did to me.  It wasn't until I had my first child that I did something about it.  I completely understand this story.  I understand how you can still love the molester.  I still love my father, even to this day.  I can relate to a lot of the things this young girl is saying.  I believe her 100 percent and would like to commend her for being so brave.  I confronted my father through an email when he was in another continent.  I didn't have to press charges or stand up to him in a courtroom like she did.  

 For what it's worth Tayler thanks for sharing your story.  I'm proud of you! 





30 years later I still deal with the memories everyday, but  I'm a successful business woman and my sister is a detective in the police department.  

I'm shocked at the number of people on this forum who are either accusing Tayler's mom of knowing (or that she should have known) or who are saying Tayler's making the story up. Shame on you all! I know this family, and so know more detail than you were given on the show, but let me just say that Tayler is absolutely not lying. The horrors that this girl has suffered at the hands of the man who should have been protecting her curls my toes. You think what you heard was bad? Doesn't scratch the surface. Isn't it hard enough for her to try to deal with her reality without having people say she has "holes" in her story (so sorry she didn't give you every little detail that you apparently feel you deserve).

And Tayler isn't the only one who's suffered because of him. Leaving out how he's ripped apart his family and any chance of peace and security they might have known, there are other victims who've come forward (not any of his children), but guess what? Because of the laws built to protect the criminal, too much time has elapsed and so they weren't even able to testify at his trial. 

As for Deanna, there's no way she could have known. Russell is a master manipulator like you can't imagine. He didn't just groom Tayler, he groomed the entire family - including extended family. Yeah, they all knew he had struggled with drugs as a teen, but he played the "I'm clean" game so well that he even passed drug tests during the time he was homeless after Deanna divorced him. Don't you think she has more than enough guilt over what happened to her daughter without a bunch of people who have no idea about the details making judgements? As for "kicking Tayler out," again there were extenuating circumstances that you don't understand. Everything that was done was done in a desperate effort to save Tayler, not hurt her. 

An hour of Dr. Phil isn't enough to give you the entire story, so I'll forgive your ignorance in accusing Tayler and Deanna of being somehow responsible for being victimized by this evil piece of trash. However, in the future you might refrain from judging so harshly someone who lives in a hell you can't begin to imagine just in case karma is paying attention and your horrible attitude comes back to bite you in the butt when you least expect it.