Peter S. Pelullo describes his pain in “Betrayal and the Beast: One man’s journey through childhood sexual abuse, sexual addiction and recovery”

Betrayal and the Beast: One man's journey through childhood sexual abuse, sexual addiction and recovery! by Peter S. Pelullo

Betrayal and the Beast: One man's journey through childhood sexual abuse, sexual addiction and recovery! by Peter S. Pelullo

Peter Pelullo, a former executive record producer and studio owner who worked with the Rolling Stones, Foreigner, Stevie Wonder, and other major artists, reveals his own agonizing victimization of childhood sexual abuse.

A frequent guest expert on the Dr. Drew show, Mr. Pelullo details his story in a newly released book, “Betrayal and the Beast.”

For many years Mr. Pelullo kept hidden and refused to face his debilitating issues as a survivor of sexual predation—the shame, rage, depression, and other influences that directly impacted his life. But finally, at the age of fifty-five, through intense therapy sessions, he confronted the sexual abuse he’d endured as a child.

“I decided to share my story to put a human face on this worldwide pandemic and bring to many other men and women the recovery process I experienced,” says Mr. Pelullo.

Just how widely sexual predation extends is the subject of intense debate. According to various reports, as many as one in three girls and one in four boys have been sexually violated before the age of eighteen. That would put the number at tens of millions of adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse in the United States and possibly hundreds of millions more worldwide.

The problem with getting an accurate count of the number of sex abuse cases is that not every instance is reported. The majority of victims stay silent and hide their own sexual abuse because they are afraid or ashamed.

“Sexual abuse is a much bigger problem than many people realize,” says Mr. Pelullo. “The Penn State/Jerry Sandusky scandal and others like it involving schools and religious institutions are a horrifying manifestation. Sexual predation is pervasive, insidiously private, and being perpetrated by neighbors, family members, siblings, and parents. Sexual abuse is a pandemic that has been in existence for countless generations in every culture in every country, and unfortunately it’s not going away.”

During his journey in recovery, Mr. Pelullo created the Let Go…Let Peace Come In Foundation, which supports adult victims of childhood sexual abuse throughout the world. The foundation is committed to supporting the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and its research toward preventing child sexual abuse and improving treatment for survivors of abuse.

Childhood sexual abuse can result in major, long-term psychological harm and can affect a person’s whole life. Here are some of the common effects:

  • Depression
  • Personality disorders
  • Eating disorders
  • Problems with interpersonal relationships
  • Inability to trust
  • Drug or alcohol addiction
  • Suicide
  • Sexual compulsions

Mr. Pelullo believes too many people and institutions don’t take allegations of sexual abuse seriously enough. As he sees it, these are not just criminal acts but also devastating attacks on the broader community and the family.

“It’s bad enough that we have little in place to prevent the perpetration of sexual violation upon children, but once it happens there is virtually no support to help the victimized cope with the after effects,” says Mr. Pelullo. “I hope my story will inspire survivors and their families to seek the help they so desperately deserve. As a society we need to remove the stigma surrounding adult survivors’ talking about childhood sexual abuse. They must be able to get the mental health care they need to recover.”

About the author: 

Peter S. Pelullo was the founder of Philly World Records and owner of a premiere recording studio in the ’70s, where he worked with the likes of the Rolling Stones, Evelyn “Champagne” King, Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, Cashmere, and Eugene Wilde. He is now an entrepreneur and financier focusing on technology startups. Following his journey in recovery, he created the Let Go…Let Peace Come In Foundation, which supports adult victims of childhood sexual abuse throughout the world.

Author Name:: Peter S. Pelullo
Author Website:: www.betrayalandthebeast.com
Book Title:: “Betrayal and the Beast: One man’s journey through childhood sexual abuse, sexual addiction and recovery”
ISBN:: 0615486258
Publisher:: Only Serenity LLC