Award-wining program in town to educate community on sexual predators

A group of concerned Poncans started meeting months ago to discuss a Kay County case regarding a child molester.

Police Chief, Don Bohon and District Attorney, Brian Hermanson got involved.

The group found a program that educates communities about sexual predators.

Sharon Doty created the program, which is titled Keeping Children Safe.

“The program is an interactive play and it is designed to educate adults about the potentially risky behaviors that other adults exhibit so that they can interrupt the grooming process before the child gets harmed in any way,” Doty said.

Doty hires professional actors, who travel around Oklahoma performing.

It’s a fact-based, nationally recognized and award-winning program.

The play will be interrupted for discussion.

Doty said teachers, social workers, physicians and parents make-up a lot of the audience.

“I think the biggest thing for us that we have gotten, just anecdotally is people are trusting their instincts," Doty said. "They’ll see something that doesn’t look right to them and rather than talk themselves out of it or say, well I have known their father for 10 years so there couldn’t be anything wrong over there, they actually take action to interrupt the behavior and put a stop to what they see is happening without accusing.”

The program also shows how people overreact and how to communicate with people who are acting suspicious.

The program starts at 7 p.m and will last about two hours at First Baptist Church.

Childcare will be available.