AI Summary
5 min readR*ped in Police Custody
Chris Cook was 13 years old when a neighbor accused him of stealing a pumpkin off a porch on mischief night. He didn't steal it. But the charges stuck, and a judge put him on six months probation. That probation led to curfew violations, which led to detention at Warren Acres, a juvenile facility in Warren County, New Jersey. And that is where Sheriff Edward Bullock found him.
"I never stole a pumpkin," Cook says. "And this is where I met the devil."
The Grooming and the Abuse
Sheriff Bullock was a giant of a man—six-foot-five, over 300 pounds. He was also the elected sheriff of Warren County. After Cook's first sentencing, Bullock came into the holding cell, removed his handcuffs and shackles, and told Cook's mother, "Don't worry, I'm going to take care of him." She looked relieved. A person of authority was finally going to look after her son.
Instead, Bullock took Cook into his office, closed the door, and asked him about fishing. Then he started rubbing his shoulders. Then his leg. Then his crotch. Cook was 14 years old and had no idea what was happening.
"I'm panicking. I'm a kid. I don't know," Cook says. "And he's a person of authority."
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What you'll learn
- 1 R*ped in Police Custody — Timestamped Outline
- 2 (00:00) **The Pumpkin That Started It All** - Chris Cook introduces himself and explains how a false accusation over a stolen pumpkin at age 13 put him into the juvenile justice system
- 3 (02:31) **First Contact with Sheriff Bullock** - Curfew violations and probation violations lead to Chris being sentenced to Warren Acres juvenile detention center, where he meets the Sheriff
- 4 (06:20) **The First Assault** - On the drive to Warren Acres, Sheriff Bullock stops at a fishing spot and sexually assaults Chris for the first time
- 5 (09:34) **The Second Assault Escalates** - Chris is sentenced again for probation violations, and this time the assault becomes more explicit and violent
- 6 (13:26) **The Cover-Up Begins** - Chris tells a guard about the abuse and is told to shut up, sealing his silence for decades
- 7 (19:17) **The Third Assault and Attempted Rape** - The abuse escalates to attempted anal rape during Chris's fourth stay at Warren Acres
+ Full timestamped outline available in the app
Show Notes
At just 14 years old, Chris entered the juvenile justice system for minor offenses, where he encountered a trusted county sheriff who would profoundly alter the course of his life. After being groomed and sexually abused, the trauma followed him into adulthood, leading to years of addiction, mental health struggles, and silence.
Today, Chris is sharing his story to expose the abuse of power that went unchecked, advocate for survivors of sexual abuse, and prove that healing is possible even after decades of carrying the weight of the past.
Check Out Chris:
Topics Discussed:
→ Growing Up in the Juvenile Justice System
→ Surviving Childhood Sexual Abuse
→ The Lasting Effects of Trauma
→ Holding Powerful People Accountable
→ Finding Healing Through Advocacy
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On This Episode We Cover:
→ 00:00:00 - Introduction
→ 00:01:40 - How did one false accusation change his life?
→ 00:03:58 - How did he meet Sheriff Bullock?
→ 00:05:18 - How did the grooming begin?
→ 00:07:02 - What happened during the first assault?
→ 00:10:36 - How did the abuse continue?
→ 00:11:20 - What happened during the second assault?
→ 00:15:12 - What was life like at Warren Acres?
→ 00:17:02 - Why did he keep returning to detention?
→ 00:19:07 - What happened during the third encounter?
→ 00:21:18 - How did he cope with the abuse?
→ 00:25:20 - Why did he begin acting out?
→ 00:27:03 - Why was he sent back to Warren Acres?
→ 00:29:54 - What happened during the final assault?
→ 00:31:12 - When did he first attempt suicide?
→ 00:35:30 - Why did he keep the abuse a secret?
→ 00:42:40 - How did the trauma follow him into adulthood?
→ 00:43:40 - How was Sheriff Bullock finally exposed?
→ 00:46:42 - What did life look like after the abuse?
→ 00:52:50 - What led to his next suicide attempt?
→ 00:55:24 - How was his life saved?
→ 00:56:38 - What was psychiatric treatment like?
→ 00:57:42 - What made him choose recovery?
→ 00:59:08 - How did sobriety change his life?
→ 01:07:12 - How did he discover the sheriff's trial?
→ 01:08:10 - Why did he decide to testify?
→ 01:19:18 - What was it like facing his abuser in court?
→ 01:27:14 - How did meeting another survivor change him?
→ 01:29:22 - How did survivors help change New Jersey law?
→ 01:30:23 - How many victims may there have been?
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