Welcome to The Lionhearted, a podcast featuring stories by the brave and badass people who spend their lives fighting the one thing absolutely no one wants to talk about - child sexual abuse. 

In this second of a special two-part interview spotlighting Jim Clemente, you'll hear how Jim went undercover with the FBI to make a case against the man who abused him and countless other young boys. You'll also hear how he overcame cancer that he got from helping at the World Trade Center after the September 11th attacks, among other truly movie-like experiences he's been through. The most inspiring people are those that have been through enormous hardships and not only survived, but have turned their stories into something bigger than themselves. No one exemplifies this better than Jim Clemente. And in typical Clemente-fashion, Jim tells his stories with equal parts passion and optimism.

We hope you will appreciate his engrossing storytelling and his deep knowledge and wisdom.

Trigger Warning:

Please note that this episode covers difficult topics and contains depictions of child sexual violence that some people may find disturbing. Please take care listening, and of any of the content in this podcast has brought anything up for you, please reach out or speak to someone you trust. Darkness to Light also provides links to resources for support. 

Email us your thoughts!

[email protected]

Host: Andrea Harner

Guest: Jim Clemente

Producer: Andrea Harner and Amanda Kelso

Editing: Kevin Tosi 

Show resources: 

• Lionhearted Podcast S1 E9: Jim’s Story—From FBI Profiler to Hollywood Creative | PART 1 of 2
• Darkness to Light
• Criminal Minds TV Show
  • S2 E12 “Profiler, Profiled”
  • S7 E18 “Foundation”
  • S8 E19 “Restoration”
• Real Crime Profile Podcast
• Best Case, Worst Case Podcast
• XG Productions
• Without Consent, a novel by Jim Clemente
• Chosen: A Memoir of a Stolen Boyhood, by Stephen Mills
• Safe 4 Athletes
• National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
• The Well-Armored Child: A Parent’s Guide to Prevent Sexual Abuse by Joelle Casteix
• Orny Adams: Comedian and friend of Jim Clemente

Welcome to The Lionhearted, a podcast featuring stories by the brave and badass people who spend their lives fighting the one thing absolutely no one wants to talk about - child sexual abuse. 

How many people do you know who host a massively popular true crime podcast called Real Crime Profile, have been writing and producing for the TV show Criminal Minds for all 16 seasons and counting, formerly was an FBI profiler & an FBI agent investigating child sex crimes and child abduction cases? Well, I'm pretty sure there is only one that fits this description and his name is Jim Clemente. 

This episode is the first of two episodes and it takes you through Jim's childhood, his transition out of the FBI and into Hollywood as a writer and producer. Jim Clemente then details the whole spectrum of child sex offenders by getting into their mind and motivations. And thanks to his decades of studying the inner workings of child sex offenders, we can better understand the nuances and complexities in order to prevent child sexual abuse. He is an excellent storyteller and I have no doubt you will be wowed by this episode and eager to hear the next.

Trigger Warning:

Please note that this episode contains depictions of sexual violence that some people may find disturbing. If any of the content in this podcast has brought anything up for you, please reach out or speak to someone you trust. Darkness to Light also provides links to resources for support. 

Email us your thoughts!
[email protected]

Host: Andrea Harner

Guest: Jim Clemente

Producer: Andrea Harner and Amanda Kelso

Editing: Kevin Tosi 

Show resources: 

• Darkness to Light
• Criminal Minds TV Show
  • S8 E19 “Restoration”
  • S.9 E16 “Gabby”
  • S10 E23 “The Hunt”
• Real Crime Profile Podcast
• Best Case, Worst Case Podcast
• XG Productions
• Without Consent, a novel by Jim Clemente
• National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
• Child Molesters, a Behavioral Analysis by Ken Lanning
• Stop it Now: https://www.stopitnow.org/
• Dr. Fred Berlin : https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/profiles/details/frederick-berlin
• The Well-Armored Child: A Parent’s Guide to Prevent Sexual Abuse by Joelle Casteix

Welcome to The Lionhearted, a podcast featuring stories by the brave and badass people who spend their lives fighting the one thing absolutely no one wants to talk about - child sexual abuse. 

The story we are talking about today requires a longer than usual intro and a trigger warning right at the outset because of the shocking details of the crime. We will cover the case of the largest single payout that any school district in the country has ever paid to date: 139 million. 

It involves the Miramonte Elementary School which is a part of the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Our guest today, Michael Carrillo, was one of the civil attorneys for the dozens of victims and their families who won this monumental civil case. The offender is a guy named Mark Berndt, who was a long time beloved teacher at the school who, among other things, exposed himself to students, fondled students, and fed his semen to these elementary school kids. 

This is an important story, as there are lessons to be learned, and we are so grateful for this frontline look into this.

Trigger Warning:

Please note that this episode contains depictions of sexual violence that some people may find disturbing. If any of the content in this podcast has brought anything up for you, please reach out or speak to someone you trust.

Darkness to Light also provides links to resources for support. 

Show resources: 

• Michael Carrillo’s Bio 
• LAist Article about the Miramonte Civil Lawsuit 

Additional resources: 

• Trauma Stewardship by Laura van Dermoot Lipsky
• Trauma Proofing Your Kids by Peter Levine, Maggie Kline
• Trauma and Childhood Development resources by Darkness to Light
• Darkness to Light National and State Resources
  
  

Welcome to The Lionhearted, a podcast featuring stories by the brave and badass people who spend their lives fighting the one thing absolutely no one wants to talk about - child sexual abuse. 

It's hard to overstate the impact of the laws that Kathryn Robb, Executive Director of Child USAdvocacy has changed and continues to change in service of child sexual abuse victims.

She knows the science that most survivors don't ever tell, but if they do, they most often do so in their 50s. So the laws need to account for the dynamics of delayed disclosure and provide what the spirit of the law intended, which is to hold the perpetrator of this heinous crime accountable even after the passage of time. 

In this special episode, she shares her own story of abuse, but also something that is more recent and especially heartbreaking. She truly embodies not just a lionhearted professional, but a lionhearted mom. 

Trigger Warning:

Please note that this episode contains depictions of sexual violence, child sexual abuse and incest that some people may find disturbing. If any of the content in this podcast has brought anything up for you, please reach out or speak to someone you trust. Please take care of yourselves and know you are never alone. 

Darkness to Light, a leading nonprofit focused on child sexual abuse prevention, also provides links to resources for support. Full disclosure: Andrea Harner is currently Board Chairperson of Darkness to Light.

Email us your thoughts!

[email protected]

Host: Andrea Harner

Guest: Kathryn Robb

Producer: Andrea Harner and Amanda Kelso

Editing: Kevin Tosi

Resources mentioned on the show: 

• Child USAdvocacy
• Kathryn Robb, Esq. Child USAdvocacy Bio
• Child USA
• Child USA 2023 Statutes of Limitations Tracker
• Justia: The Court’s Pause: A Necessary Change for Victims Op-Ed by Kathryn Robb
• JD Supra: Working to End Child Abuse with Kathryn Robb
• Aspen Ideas Festival Panel (video): How do we stop the crisis of child sexual abuse? 
• Entitled: How Male Privilege Hurts Women by Kate Manne

Additional resources: 

• Trauma Stewardship by Laura van Dermoot Lipsky
• Trauma Proofing Your Kids by Peter Levine, Maggie Kline
• Trauma and Childhood Development resources by Darkness to Light
• Darkness to Light National and State Resources

Welcome to The Lionhearted, a podcast featuring stories by the brave and badass people who spend their lives fighting the one thing absolutely no one wants to talk about - child sexual abuse. 

In this episode, we feature two people, a lionhearted couple named Kevin and Tashanna McNeil, who share the very hard truth that you cannot outrun trauma. 

As they write so perfectly in their new book, “We meet on dates. Our trauma meets in relationships.” We dive into that big topic and how we need each other to heal.

We also discuss the often ignored crisis, which is that first responders, such as Kevin, who was a special victims detective, and Tashanna, who is an Pediatric Urgent Care nurse, carry so much vicarious trauma and are woefully under supported. The helpers need help too. The good news is that there is hope yet and it can be found in their new book called Sound the Alarm: The Challenges First Responders Face and the S.A.F.E.R. Method to Overcome Them.

Trigger Warning:

Please note that this episode contains depictions of sexual violence that some people may find disturbing. If any of the content in this podcast has brought anything up for you, please reach out or speak to someone you trust.

Darkness to Light, a leading nonprofit focused on child sexual abuse prevention, also provides links to resources for support. Full disclosure: Andrea Harner is currently Board Chairperson of Darkness to Light.

Email us your thoughts!

[email protected]

Host: Andrea Harner

Guest: Kevin McNeil, Tashanna McNeil

Producer: Andrea Harner and Amanda Kelso

Editing: Kevin Tosi

Resources mentioned on the show: 

• Sound the Alarm: The Challenges First Responders Face and the S.A.F.E.R. Method to Overcome Them by Kevin McNeil and Tashanna McNeil - Available on Amazon
• The Twelve Project
• Being First: A Course for First Responders on The Twelve Project
• Follow Kevin McNeil on Instagram: @kevin_mcneil_
• The Twelve Project on LinkedIn
• The Twelve Project on Facebook

Additional resources: 

• Trauma Stewardship by Laura van Dermoot Lipsky
• Trauma Proofing Your Kids by Peter Levine, Maggie Kline
• Trauma and Childhood Development resources by Darkness to Light
• Darkness to Light National and State Resources

Welcome to The Lionhearted, a podcast featuring stories by the brave and badass people who spend their lives fighting the one thing absolutely no one wants to talk about—child sexual abuse. And that's why we call them the lionhearted.

In this episode our guest is child abuse expert Monica Borunda who is a licensed therapist, Professor of Child Abuse, Trauma, Law and Ethics at Cal State LA, and especially important for this conversation, she is a veteran forensic interviewer. 

We will get into what a forensic interviewer does, but in short, forensic interviewers are trained to interview children (and adults with disabilities), who are suspected to have been abused, in a way that is trauma informed, developmentally and culturally appropriate, child-centered, non leading and legally defensible. 

Monica has over 17 years experience and has conducted over 1600 forensic interviews. She shares the stories she cannot forget and the important lessons she has learned that will help you listeners better protect kids.

Trigger Warning:

Please note that this episode contains depictions of sexual violence that some people may find disturbing. If any of the content in this podcast has brought anything up for you, please reach out or speak to someone you trust.

Darkness to Light, a leading nonprofit focused on child sexual abuse prevention, also provides links to resources for support. Full disclosure: Andrea Harner is currently Board Chairperson of Darkness to Light.

Email us your thoughts!

[email protected]

Host: Andrea Harner

Guest: Monica Borunda

Producer: Andrea Harner and Amanda Kelso

Editing: Kevin Tosi

Show resources: 

• The Center for Connection, Monica Borunda
• Trauma Proofing Your Kids by Peter Levine, Maggie Kline
• Being the Safe Adult resource by Darkness to Light
• Talk to Kids about Body Safety and Boundaries resource by Darkness to Light
• Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC) Model Explained by National Children’s Alliance
• Darkness to Light National and State Resources

Welcome to The Lionhearted, a podcast featuring stories by the brave and badass people who spend their lives fighting the one thing absolutely no one wants to talk about - child sexual abuse. And that's why we call them the lionhearted.

In this episode we focus on a filmmaker who spent decades thinking she was okay, and in fact, more than okay—successful— in everyone's eyes until what happened to her when she was 13 came roaring back, forcing her to confront it. How does a filmmaker deal with childhood trauma and engage in self-exploration?

Make a film, of course! Well, Jennifer Fox's film titled THE TALE, which is based on her true story of abuse and took years to make, was released in 2018 to great critical acclaim and to standing ovations at Sundance. But it was only while standing on that stage being lauded as a victim did Jennifer realize she was deeply uncomfortable being called a victim and that she still had so much more to reconcile about her past and her future identity as a survivor.

Trigger Warning:

Please note that this episode contains depictions of sexual violence that some people may find disturbing. If any of the content in this podcast has brought anything up for you, please reach out or speak to someone you trust.

Darkness to Light, a leading nonprofit focused on child sexual abuse prevention, also provides links to resources for support. Full disclosure: Andrea Harner is currently Board Chairperson of Darkness to Light.

Email us your thoughts!

[email protected]

Host: Andrea Harner

Guest: Jennifer Fox

Producer: Andrea Harner and Amanda Kelso

Editing: Kevin Tosi

Show resources: 

• THE TALE on HBO
• NYTimes: For Years She Said a Coach Abused Her. Now She Has Named a Legend.
• Child USA: Delayed Disclosure
• Darkness to Light National and State Resources
• Peter Levine: Founder of Somatic Experiencing: What is Somatic Experiencing?

Welcome to The Lionhearted, a podcast featuring stories by the brave and badass people who spend their lives fighting the one thing absolutely no one wants to talk about - child sexual abuse.  And that's why we call them the lionhearted.

In this episode, we get to hear Special Victims Detective Nova Simon in all her vulnerability and honesty, take us through a story, unlike any you have heard before. It involves the height of hippie culture, a scandalous-at-the-time biracial marriage, a cult and an ungodly man. Nova endured what no child should ever experience but fortunately for all of us who know her, she has landed in a job - a calling - that harnesses her fierce compassion to fight for child victims in the way they deserve. She embodies what is possible when you turn your adversity into your superpower.

Trigger Warning:

Please note that this episode contains depictions of sexual violence that some people may find disturbing. If any of the content in this podcast has brought anything up for you, please reach out or speak to someone you trust.

Darkness to Light, a leading nonprofit focused on child sexual abuse prevention, also provides links to resources for support. Full disclosure: Andrea Harner is currently Board Chairperson of Darkness to Light.

Email us your thoughts!

[email protected]

Host: Andrea Harner

Guest: Nova Simon 

Producer: Andrea Harner and Amanda Kelso

Editing: Kevin Tosi

Show resources: 

• Darkness to Light National and State Resources
• Darkness to Light: Talking with Children
• Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department: Victim Resources

Welcome to The Lionhearted, a podcast featuring stories by the brave and badass people who spend their lives fighting the one thing absolutely no one wants to talk about - child sexual abuse. And that's why we call them the lionhearted.

Before being tapped for her current role as the Executive Director of the Beau Biden Foundation for the Protection of Children, Patty Dailey Lewis was prosecuting crimes against children for decades as the Deputy Attorney General of Delaware's Department of Justice. In this episode she shares one particularly heinous case in which she played a pivotal role. 

The setting is a small town in Delaware in which parents trusted their beloved pediatrician. The entire town was brought to its knees when they what this exalted community member had done to hundreds of children, some as young as three months old.

And it all began with one mom believing her child. As Patty says, “because of her, people's lives were saved.” This is one of those stories you wish weren't true, but it is, and you'll never forget it.

Trigger Warning:

Please note that this episode contains depictions of sexual violence that some people may find disturbing. If any of the content in this podcast has brought anything up for you, please reach out or speak to someone you trust.

Darkness to Light, a leading nonprofit focused on child sexual abuse prevention, also provides links to resources for support. Full disclosure: Andrea Harner is currently Board Chairperson of Darkness to Light.

Email us your thoughts!

[email protected]

Host: Andrea Harner

Guest: Patty Dailey Lewis

Producer: Andrea Harner and Amanda Kelso

Editing: Kevin Tosi

Show resources: 

• Beau Biden Foundation: Link: https://www.beaubidenfoundation.org/
• Family Resources at the Beau Biden Foundation
• The Leadership Council on Child Abuse and Interpersonal Violence “How often do children’s reports of abuse turn out to be false?”
• Safe Shores: Child Sexual Abuse: The Myths and Truths
• Darkness to Light National and State Resources

Welcome to The Lionhearted, a podcast featuring stories by the brave and badass people who spend their lives fighting the one thing absolutely no one wants to talk about - child sexual abuse. 

In this episode, Stephen Mills, winner of the 2022 National Jewish Book Award for his memoir Chosen: A Memoir of Stolen Boyhood, joins host Andrea Harner to share his story as a survivor of child sexual abuse while attending a summer camp. 

At 13 years old, Stephen was a sweet and sensitive boy, so excited to go to his Jewish summer camp in Connecticut. Little did he know that the larger than life beloved camp director was going to derail his life forever.  Using his writing superpower, Stephen takes us into what it was like to have his little body and childhood hijacked by the one person he so looked up to. And who everyone, including his parents, seemed to adore. Fortunately, he was able to find his foothold on the path to healing, though as he mentions, it's an ongoing process as it is for all trauma survivors.

He also discusses the urgent need for all organizations who serve and work with children, to be trained in child sexual abuse prevention.

Trigger Warning:

Please note that this episode contains depictions of sexual violence that some people may find disturbing. If any of the content in this podcast has brought anything up for you, please reach out or speak to someone you trust.

Darkness to Light, a leading nonprofit focused on child sexual abuse prevention, also provides links to resources for support. Full disclosure: Andrea Harner is currently Board Chairperson of Darkness to Light.

Email us your thoughts!
[email protected]

Host: Andrea Harner

Guest: Stephen Mills 

Producer: Andrea Harner and Amanda Kelso

Editing: Kevin Tosi 

Theme Song: Teddy Duran

Show resources: 

• Stephen Mills’ book, Chosen A Memoir of Stolen Boyhood
• Darkness to Light National and State Resources
• Darkness to Light: Safety at Summer Camp
• What happened to you? By Oprah Winfrey and Bruce Perry
• Half the House By Richard Hoffman (memoir mentioned by Stephen in the show)
• The Tricky Part By Marty Moran
• The Body Keeps Score By Bessel van der Kolk