No, Megyn Kelly, there’s no ‘less serious’ version of child sexual abuse | Opinion

As a survivor of prolonged child sexual abuse, beginning when I was 11 years old and continuing into my early teen years, I have dedicated my life to protecting children and supporting survivors. So, when a national media figure like Megyn Kelly suggests that the abuse of “very young teens” somehow counts as something less than child sexual abuse, I cannot — and will not — stay silent.

Recently, Kelly attempted to draw a line between the abuse of young children and the abuse of older, minor girls, saying none of Jeffrey Epstein’s victims have come forward claiming they were “under 10” or “under 14,” and arguing that there is a meaningful “difference” between a 5-year-old victim and a 15-year-old victim.

Let me be clear: There is no acceptable or lesser form of child sexual abuse. None.

When an adult targets a child — whether that child is 5, 15 or in between — it is sexual abuse, exploitation, and a crime. It is a profound abuse of power, trust, and vulnerability. It leaves lifelong scars that do not become more or less legitimate based on the age of the child.

Attempting to frame Epstein’s crimes as less serious because his victims may have been young teens isn’t just wrong; it is dangerous. It is the language of apologists for sexual predation. It reinforces one of the most harmful myths in our culture: that older children or teens are somehow complicit, less innocent or less worthy of protection.

As someone abused at 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15, I can tell you this: that myth nearly killed me. And it has silenced generations of survivors.

The silence is staggering. Seventy-five percent of victims do not disclose abuse within the first year. Nearly half stay silent at least five years. Many wait decades — or never tell.

Survivors stay silent because they fear blame, judgment, and dismissal. They fear hearing exactly what Kelly said on national airwaves: that their trauma somehow “doesn’t count,” or isn’t “real” abuse.

When a prominent public figure implies that a 15-year-old victim is somehow different, less harmed or less worthy of outrage, she tells millions of survivors that their trauma is negotiable. That message shames victims, drives disclosure deeper underground and directly benefits predators.

Let’s be honest: Epstein targeted those girls not because the harm was less severe, but because they were vulnerable, impressionable and easily controlled by his wealth and influence. He used classic predatory tactics — gaining trust, exploiting need, isolating victims, leveraging money and opportunity. There is nothing consensual about that. There is nothing “less harmful” about it.

We cannot allow anyone, not celebrities, not commentators, not anyone with a microphone, to sanitize the abuse of minors. We cannot allow the sexual exploitation of children — of any age — to be softened, minimized, or reframed. And we cannot allow powerful voices to divide victims in ways that excuse or downplay predation.

I have spent my adult life passing laws to protect children, expanding access to help for survivors and building prevention programs so abuse never happens in the first place. Every survivor’s pain is real. Every survivor deserves to be believed, supported, and protected.

So, let’s be unequivocal: Child sexual abuse is child sexual abuse. There is no “less serious” version. There is no acceptable age for exploitation. There is no distinction that transforms this crime into anything other than a devastating violation of a child’s body, mind, and humanity.

Megyn Kelly’s comments were harmful, inaccurate and deeply hurtful to survivors. They fuel the silence that predators depend on.

We cannot — and will not — let this stand. We must condemn sexual exploitation in every form, forcefully and without exception. And we must ensure every survivor knows that what happened to them was wrong, that they matter, and that we will fight for them.

Lauren Book is a former Florida state senator, a child advocate, a former classroom teacher and the founder and CEO of Lauren’s Kids. As a victim of childhood sexual abuse for six years at the hands of a trusted caretaker, Lauren founded Lauren’s Kids as a vehicle to prevent childhood sexual abuse and help other survivors heal.

This story was originally published November 25, 2025 at 2:15 PM.