Family and Friends Forum

Oh House, I'm here too because of my son so can guess how you're feeling and my heart really goes out to you.

I've been on this journey now for over 3 years and can assure you that life does eventually get easier.

We managed to get our son in to therapy in the very early days and one of the things the therapist said was that my sons offending didn't define who he was. Yes I hate what my son did but I love my son unconditionallly. The reasons why our people do what they do are varied and complicated and it's these underlying factors that your son will need support in addressing.

You won't be able to use the private message facility on here yet, but once you can please feel free to message me any time. In the meantime, you need to look after yourself as it's a tough journey you're on.

I'm with Ocean on this one. My son is a lovely man, he's funny, kind and very loving, worked hard and did well in his job. It breaks my heart he is now labelled and faces life long restrictions but I cannot change this consequence.

i will never forgive him for what he did. Part of his crime was within our family. It broke us for a time and been years before trust has crept back. We're good at the moment but I'm scared what will happen on his release from prison.

i never will hide or swerve round facing what he did and viewed. But I love him and I need to be part of his life and he needs me. I always say everyone deserves a chance. And I'm giving my son his chance.

This is one of the hardest things for me. It's such a conflicting, confusing range of emotions. I want to protect him but I'm also angry and probably still in shock. I can't understand it all. How it happened, under my nose. My little boy. My heart feels utterly broken.

I am with you all, my son as well. I can't believe it, literally a few weeks on from arrest and I just can't believe it. He is a good lad, naive and bloody stupid, but aside from all of this he is a good person.

Don't know what lies ahead and I am dreading it. But I will support him and hope that we can all get through this awful bloody journey together. It is truly heartbreaking.

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We've been going through this since late 2023 when my son was 15. He had viewed a lots of illegal images of children (some his own age and some a lot younger) all 3 categories. He had also viewed one video of beastiality.

It was the most enormous shock. He is and always has been the kindest boy and I love him dearly.

I'm not sure what draws people into accessing this material and the reasons will be multiple and complex.

Keep loving him - it's a very small part of him that's done something wrong. He has to at some point be able to forgive himself.

All you with sons who have offended .. i'm so sorry… For me it was my husband of 30 years, I stayed with him and supported him and we have now been married for 40 years. Carry on loving your son support him and remember, as all of you have said he deserves a second chance and this thing should not define him . Look after yourselves with Therapy, meditation and, if you have any spirituality try that. You need to keep yourself fit and healthy so that you can look after your son. Ignore negative people who make horrible judgements. No one should judge you. Surround yourselves with people who can support you. My advice is also to tell as few people as possible, even family (unless you have to). Love to you XX