The Devil Inside

by Jimmy Hinton

When Jimmy Hinton's sister confided in him that their own father had sexually abused her, Jimmy was both dismayed and spurred into action. His father, a respected minister in the community, was a predator who used his role behind the pulpit to secretly molest and abuse countless victims. Turning his father over to the police, Jimmy became a tireless advocate and voice for the victims. His pursuit of justice would eventually result in his father's confession and subsequent conviction.



Haunted by the discovery of his father's grotesque acts against children, Jimmy, also a pastor, worked to restore the very church where his dad had perpetrated such sickening acts. He was determined to protect others and nurture an environment of healing in the aftermath of abuse. Today he relentlessly studies and exposes the deception techniques that predators like his father used to molest, harm, abuse, and terrorize children.



The Devil Inside is, hands down, the absolute must-read for every seminarian, seminary instructor, and church leader and volunteer out there...Hinton addresses head-on theological problems of redemption and forgiveness and care for others exactly as Jesus would have him do. He cares deeply for the abused and wounded, makes space for the truly repentant, and offers a chilling description of the wolf in sheep's clothing.



--Christine Fox Paker, MA, MACM, President/Executive Director, PorchSwing Ministries, Inc.



In his book, The Devil Inside, Jimmy pulls no punches. He lays bare his soul and puts in black & white precisely why we should and how we can better defend children from sexual predators.



--Dave Pittman, Executive Director, Together We Heal

Child Safeguarding Trainer, GRACE



I recommend this compelling story of a minister's family forced to make a painful choice - protect their father or protect children from their father?



--Abbie Fitzgerald Schaub, storyteller in "The Keepers" documentary



The Devil Inside serves as a wake-up call for the church and seminaries - understanding abuse, how it happens, and prevention must be an integral thread in the church's fabric...This book is a must for every pastor, ministry leader, and seminary student.



--Joe Harvey-Hall, KeepSAfe Director, The Salvation Army



Jimmy writes about what he knows. And what he writes, you need to know for it may save those you love. Had I had this information years ago, my own family might have been spared the horror that destroyed us. This is a book that needs to be read by church leaders and church members alike!



--Les Ferguson Jr., Minister and author of Still Wrestling: Faith Renewed Through Brokenness

162 pages, Paperback

Published February 16, 2021

Reviews

[Ruth Dahl · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good read. An important read. Interesting because it’s a book about child sexual abuse that’s not written by a victim (most books about abuse are understandably written by victims, but I’ve also seen some deniers use that as evidence for why you shouldn’t believe victims)

The beginning opens with the authors childhood experience with his father, which was very positive. He became a pastor to become just like his dad, and had intentions of doing his best to be like him for his whole life. This opening chapter sets the stage for the absolute heartbreak that he experienced when victims of his father begin disclosing the abuse, and gives a framework for anyone who’s ever been shocked by allegations.

Then the author moves on to the theological discussions. “God why would you let this happen?” Is a question many ask, and so does the author. He lets the readers in to his wrestling, and whole you can never have a conclusion to that question, he does have a great discussion on it that gives a great way of thinking for other matters, too.

He also writes about how pedophiles operate. The author visited and keeps up a correspondence with his father for the sole purpose of asking an actual pedophile how he got away with it, and how he knew/groomed victims. Usually psychological professionals will come up with theories, or interview victims, but hardly has anyone interviewed pedophiles for their MOs (and hardly have pedophiles been honest about what they’ve done. The author doesn’t explicitly address that, but I did notice how careful he was in quoting his father to also back up any statements the father made with some measure of proof by someone else).

Finally, there’s a discussion on what everyone can do. Churches have a very bad track record of protecting potential victims and believing ones that come forward and he addresses that. Circling back to his theology chapters, his conclusion is basically that if you are wondering where God is, then maybe you’re called to step up and help. It makes more sense in context.

Random takeaways:
It must be heartbreaking to find out that the father you’ve revered your whole life is a serial pedophile, but he never even questions the decision to report. He firmly believed that it was the right thing to do, and he has empathy for the victims.

Also, after interviewing his father and studying the matter, the author says that instead of the word “grooming” he believes that the actual correct term should be “testing”. Pedophiles test boundaries of victims, their families, and communities before they abuse to see if they can get away with it, and that seems like a better description to me, and gives a more accurate framework for spotting behaviors that need to stop. It’s not just physical boundaries, but also questions pedophiles will ask parents that give them knowledge that will help them abuse the child. The author explains it better than me, so you should read this book if you’re confused by my explanation.

[Denise Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're unfamiliar with Jimmy Hinton, this is a great place to start (but don't let it end there, he has a website & a podcast that are fantastic).

The book takes you through his childhood, setting the stage so you could see that although his dad was abusing young children, his profile was a kind and fun-loving father, minister in the community. It is setting the stage so you can really understand how totally deceived he had everyone.

When Jimmy and his mother Clara reported him to the police, they didn't know what would happen. They just did what what right in order to protect other children, and try to see if the law would act justly. The fact that his dad received a sentence was right, but Jimmy doesn't shy away from showing a piece of the hell his family went through because of it. They paid a steep price, even thought it was right.

But the bread and butter of this book is starts in Chapter 9, where he asks "Where Were You God"? The meat of the book then delves into why we (especially as Christians, but all of us adults) are called to be wise, learn the deception techniques of abusers. He asked how he could identify an abuser *before* they abused. He gives solid advice (and ways to learn more) for spotting them, being aware, so that we can protect our children, our grandchildren, our neighbors children. THIS is why you need this book.

I cannot recommend this highly enough. Bravo, Jimmy. And thank you.

[William Bigelow · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was depressing and disturbing to read, but it is an extremely important text. I commend Rev. Hinton for his bravery in writing this book.

[Marbeth Skwarczynski · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must-read for every parent, grandparent, teacher, church leader, and pastor. Jimmy Hinton's unwavering transparency is refreshing. When Pastor Hinton discovered there was a child molester in his church, he didn't try to cover it up or move the pedophile on to another location. Instead, he contacted the local police and helped them build a case against the man Hinton had once trusted implicitly--his father and former pastor of Hinton's church. Hinton now consults with other organizations on how to identify child abusers hiding in plain sight. An excellent resource.

[Nathan Battey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an incredibly good book and should be required reading for all church leaders. I sat down and read the whole book in one evening. You need to get it and read it. It starts off a little slow, but really picks up about midway and is good stuff. It’s written by a church of Christ preacher. There is some language in it as he recounts some conversations. It’s a pretty raw and eye opening book and advocates strongly for victims of sexual abuse.

[Anna Zehr · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book because it was recommended to me. This book handles difficult subject matter carefully. Now I may check out his podcasts as well. Hinton says the question we should ask about abusers is not why they abuse, but how they do it. His explanation of the differences between grooming and testing behaviors is also helpful.

[Christen Jeschke · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Devil Inside is a valuable, must-read for every parent, pastor, or leader. Jimmy Hinton writes with incredible strength and clarity in a powerful true story about protecting victims of abuse while driving out the wolves in our midst.

[Liz · Rating 2 out of 5]

I appreciate Hinton’s perspective and theology - esp. after working on justice for victims of abuse by Catholic priests - but the narrative parts are not very well-written or edited. Lots of sentences end in exclamation points!

[Y · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was very glad Hinton didn't go into the details of the actual abuse but detailed around it. I had hoped there was more psychological explanations or more advice on how to handle these matters. The advice given was simply to keep an eye out, but not much help on what exactly to do.

[Terry Ann Roth · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read.

[Megan Will · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is so vulnerable yet empowering.