HUNTINGTON -- Fear, confusion and shame all can keep a victim of child sex abuse silent for years to come.

Psychological issues is the reason that many victims of sexual abuse remain silent, even decades after the initial incident, according to Dawn Drown, victim advocate for the Cabell County Prosecutor's Office.

Last month, two adult men shared stories about abuse they endured as boys two decades ago. Their willingness to share their stories of abuse with police has empowered at least four others to come forward and stopped alleged abuse to a 10-year-old boy, according to court documents.

Retired Huntington Police Capt. Foster G. Bowen, 80, of Barboursville faces 20 counts of sexual abuse, sexual assault and illegal use of obscene materials in connection with five alleged victims. All of the allegations are said to have occurred after Bowen retired in the early 1980s as a captain from the Huntington Police Department. Bowen's attorney said last week that his client is innocent.

With reports of abuse so long ago, some have questioned why the initial victims, now 31 and 28, didn't come forward years earlier. Drown said fear, intimidation, denial and shame keeps the victim in silence.

"They don't want to rehash it," she said. "It's in the past. It's over. It's not happening any more. They want to move on with their lives. They've gotten involved and they have their own family, but still in the back of their mind, that is still playing."

Drown said many of the people she works with are victims of child sexual abuse. Their stories can be revealed in times of domestic violence and other attacks.

"It's deep," she said. "I think there's probably more adults out there walking with this toxic thing in their brain and memory trying to deal with this everyday."

That toxic, unresolved abuse influences most every portion of a victim's life into his or her teenage years. A male victim may struggle with confusion as to his sexual identity. Others may resort to cutting and fighting to release pain, while others may withdraw from friends and family.

"Something traumatic like that interferes with the normal process of growing up," she said.

The psychological war within one's mind continues into adulthood. She said prior abuse may lead to eating disorders and possibly affect the victim's marriage. Even the most monogamous sexual relationship won't be pleasurable. That may cause the victim's partner to suspect cheating and thus cause more problems.

"Sex with their partner is normal, but then it also floods their mind with memories that happened in their younger years," Drown said. "It's a vicious cycle."

Breaking that cycle requires the person to come forward. Otherwise she warns thoughts of the abuse will continue to surface until that person understands he or she did not wrong.

Once they step forward it is Drown's duty to provide adult victims with options. Those include routes to prosecution and counseling. Other victims will feel empowered to follow once another victim speaks up. She said they feel safe knowing their abuser no longer holds anything over their head.

"It's validation," she said. "Finding out somebody else this had happened to kind of validates, 'It wasn't me. I didn't do anything wrong.'"

Drown encourages anybody who believes they were a victim to call her office at 304-526-8653. She will point them toward counselors and other options, all while allowing them to navigate their own route in moving forward.

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