Non-PG13 (Strong Language): is this illegal ?

[TH Anonymous]

[SIZE="a"]when i was around 4 i had an adult family member who would tell me their explicit sexual stories. i know am i very prudish person and find sex disgusting. was it illegal for them to have told me explicit sexual stories ? they were also creepy and would squeeze kids bums. i live in AU btw.[/size]

[Mallika]

Hi there,

Thank you for reaching out!

I am not knowledgeable enough about Australian law to say if this was illegal or not, but I can say with confidence that this adult's behaviour was completely inappropriate and incorrect.

A sensible adult would never speak to a four-year-old child about sex, let alone describe explicit content. Their behaviour with children (i.e. touching the bum) is also condemnable. It is natural to have concerns about this matter though many years have passed since. Are you still in contact with this adult? If so, it would be better if you avoid them altogether. If their behaviour has persisted and you're still a minor, you might want to inform your parent(s)/guardian so that they can take further action.

More importantly, I would strongly recommend you to meet a professional who will be able to guide you in managing your emotions with regard to this early childhood incident. If you're still in school or university, you can meet a school/university counsellor. If not, I would encourage you to find a therapist in your local area who might be able to help.

I have attached some links of some Australia-based organisations from whom you could seek further support:
https://au.reachout.com/articles/sexual-assault-support
https://www.1800respect.org.au

Take care and feel free to PM me if you would like to chat about this

[Rivière]

I'm not very knowledgeable on Australian law, so I can't say as to whether or not such behaviour is illegal. However, from what you've described, I would certainly say their behaviour towards children is. Touching children like that is highly inappropriate.

I don't know how old you are now, but I agree with Mallika. If you feel you need to, try and chat with someone about what happened to you, perhaps a medical professional or even another family member whom you trust would be ok with what you're telling them. Something like that must have been very difficult for you to process at such a young age, and only have you come to realise that family member's behaviour is highly inappropriate.

I can only hope that you're no longer in contact with that family member. It does concern me that they may still be doing such inappropriate behaviour to other children as well.

If you feel comfortable in doing so, see if you can find out more information on that family member's behaviour and maybe try and find other children whom they've come into contact with. The more children that come forward with their inappropriate behaviour, the better.