S.C. predator waited for isolation to act

Predator crimes fall into one of two categories: a crime of opportunity or pre-meditation, which means the victim knew the predator. The predator case involving a kidnapped 14-year-old-girl in South Carolina who was raped for more than a week in an underground bunker was a crime of opportunity.

The predator was recently sentenced to 421 years in prison for his repulsive act. To stop predators like this, it's best to educate ourselves on how they think and choose their victims.

Vinson Filyaw, the South Carolina predator, wrote from his cell: "Like a predator, I waited on one lonely stray to walk by."

A predator needs Isolation, Vulnerability, Control and Privacy to be successful. As this young girl walked home alone from her bus stop, Filyaw accomplished the Isolation he desired.

He then moved in for the interview. Although he posed as a police officer, he stilled relied on his predator mentality to test the victim with words or touching to gain her trust and see if Control could be achieved. During this interview, the predator is looking for several cues indicating that the person is controllable or easily manipulated.

Using this technique, Filyaw was able to talk the girl into his car where he gained Control and Privacy.

What should be learned from this horrible tragedy is to not allow a predator Isolation or Privacy. Do not allow yourself to be taken out of the public eye from an unknown person or a person you don't feel comfortable with. Trust your instincts. Many lives have been saved this way.

And if you're out of the public eye for reasons out of your control, be aware.

To her credit, the 14-year-old did some very smart things when she was kidnapped.
Once she was in the bunker, physical fighting went out the window. All that would have gotten her was beaten up or killed. Instead, the teenager humanized herself to the predator. Predators do not view their victims as people, as human. They are meat.

In this case, the young girl humanized herself and gained his trust. I truly believe that saved her life. A predator is not going to take someone into a bunker and rape her for a week or a month and just let her go.

By keeping her wits about her and not giving up, and gaining the predator's trust, the young girl was able to get his cell phone to "play games" and send text messages to her mother, which led rescuers to the bunker.