THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, January 19, 1997 TAG: 9701190076
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A8 EDITION: FINAL
LENGTH: 51 lines
Over the course of three years, ``Keith'' had sexually molested a 5-year-old and his two nieces, ages 6 and 7. He got so confident he wouldn't be caught that he abused the 6-year-old nearly every day for a year.
He met his fourth victim at a deserted high school playground. She was 5. This time, Keith, 12, was caught and charged with attempted sodomy.
Keith was ordered to The Pines Residential Treatment Center in Portsmouth. After a year and a half, he could admit what he had done and take responsibility for it. His rape and domination fantasies disappeared, and he no longer was suicidal.
Such is one story of hope at The Pines as told in the October issue of Good Houskeeping magazine.
On a recent Saturday night, 15 graduates of a 48-week ``healthy masculinity'' program walked into a cafeteria turned elegant banquet hall, wearing crisp black tuxedoes. And as they did, the crowd rose and applauded their success - perhaps the first real success many had ever known.
Staff members in spangled gowns, drifted amid tables draped with white linens. Balloons trailing long ribbons floated to the ceiling.
A chorus of residents called True Voices, formed weeks earlier, sang R. Kelly's hit ``I Believe I Can Fly.'' The crowd again was moved to stand and applaud.
``If I can see it, then I can do it. I believe I can fly. I believe I can touch the sky. I think about it every night and day . . . There are miracles in life I must achieve, but I know it starts inside of me.''
In the chorus was a Suffolk youth who just over six years ago was convicted of murder, sodomy and burglary in the death of his mother's boyfriend's 9-year-old son. The youth, Anthony Hobbs, was 13 at the time. A year earlier, he was caught trying to sodomize another boy.
Hobbs has come a long way. On this occasion, he was a leader in the chorus, encouraging the standing ovations, heading up the happy birthday song for the assistant administrator's mother. He seemed happy, outgoing and involved. He will be released soon.
As the ``healthy males'' took the stage, they talked of what they had learned and thanked teachers, family members and therapists in the Behavioral Studies Program at the Brighton campus.
``I didn't think I was going to make it through the program,'' one youth said.
Some graduates spoke with poise, others haltingly.
By night's end, one mother seemed to sum up the emotions for many: ``I am filled with tears of joy for not only my son but all the children I see here. I think they will one day be eagles and fly.''
KEYWORDS: THE PINES RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT CENTERS
TEENAGERS YOUTH OFFENDERS