“I love you and I’ll give you a call when I get home Monday after work,” were the last words a father said to his son.
On June 22, Pauly Likens, a 14-year-old boy, went missing. On July 3, his alleged killer, 29-year-old DaShawn Watkins, was arrested after the boy’s dismembered body was found near Shenango River Lake, Pennsylvania. Pauly’s father remembered his last call, “It went straight to voicemail. Something told me that was wrong, something was going on.”
Media reports on the story are focused on the child’s transgender identity and if this was a hate crime, but what really needs addressing is the disturbing trend of adult predatory behavior toward minors within gay male culture.
Pauly’s father told police his son told him he was spending the night at a friend’s house. Pauly reportedly did go to a friend’s house but left around 9:00 p.m., saying he was walking home. At 2:30 a.m., Pauly posted an image on Snapchat of a dark road, commenting he was just out for a late-night walk. He told his friend he was OK.
Police say Pauly’s phone indicated he was heading toward an area near Budd Street Public Park before his phone battery died at 3:40 a.m. Pauly had been talking with Watkins on Grindr, a sex app for gay men, and they had agreed to meet. Watkins is an openly gay man, and Pauly was beginning transgender transition. Most news reports refer to Pauly as a girl and use
