Dear Reddit, how old are you and what are you currently doing with your life?

I am 29. For the last 12 years I have worked for various non-profit organization focusing on youth development. For the last 3 years I have run a nationally recognized after-school program for low income families. In November, the mother of a recently enrolled member felt my staff and myself were allowing and actively taking part in the bullying of her son. On a Friday evening she called the police and alleged that I had done the worst things imaginable to her child. 40 minutes later I was in handcuffs and being held on 18 counts of child/sexual abuse, my bail was $725,000 and was in County jail for 6 days before finally being released. I was never arraigned due to lack of evidence. This was arrest first and investigate later. I was placed under arrest in the parking lot of where I work in plain sight of my staff, other members/parents, and the high school basketball team I helped out with.

I am now waiting to be exonerated from the charges and can not go back to work until this happens. I don't even know if I want to work with kids anymore. For someone who has never been to jail or been arrested, it is scary as hell and it is a world you are not prepared. For someone who is accused of being a pedophile, it is a living hell. I haven't slept normally since I was arrested. I don't really "go to sleep" anymore as much as I just pass out from being exhausted. It has been the absolutely worst 4 months of my life.

If you haven't seen "The Hunt" you should. It's on Netflix. There are some differences. My employer knows this didn't happen as we have cameras that blanket every inch of our facility so I didn't lose my job but the feeling of being isolated and alone is quite similar.

/r/AskReddit Thread