All this week we've highlighted the problem of child sexual abuse - from why perpetrators do it - to how this affects children.

Parents of kids who are sexually abused have their own struggles.
They often deal with guilt, and what could and should have been done to protect their kids.

Tonight - we'll hear from two parents who are still trying to cope - after three of the children were sexually abused.

Mom, "It was just an instant sinking feeling and my stomach just turned because I knew it was serious. Her demeanor and the tone of her voice."

This Lincoln mother describes the moment her
14-year-old daughter told her she was sexually abused.

Serese, "This was someone you trusted - someone who had been in your home. What kind of emotions did you have?
Mom, "Feelings of total betrayal. It was somebody that we trusted so much and had such an impact on our life and was involved so heavily in our life."

That someone was her uncle - who she also found out abused her two younger daughters.

Mom, "I felt so terrible for putting my kids in this situation for not realizing what was going on - not picking up the clues sooner."

Both parents admit there were signs.

Dad, "Oh yeah there were a lot of things that seemed out of place...running fingers through hair, picking people up - sitting them on his lap, trying to rub on people's backs, rubbing around the small of their back or around their waists."

Dad, "Every time you talked to someone else in the family they would just say, 'well he's just a touchy-feely guy or yeah - we know its just a little odd, but that's just his way.' Everybody was more concerned about protecting the family than confronting this individual."

Mom, "There were things about the way the kids acted around him that we wished we would have picked up on - in terms of just how much control he had over them. They would do anything to please him and he would spent ridiculous amounts of time and money on them...and took them places - places that we couldn't afford as parents."

Lynn Ayers, "They do a good job of grooming the child and the family.

Child Advocacy Center Executive Director, Lynn Ayers says that's why parents have to be alert and involved.

Ayers, It's just important as parents - that we really take an active role and be curious about where our children are and who they are with and asking questions and really minimizing the one on one opportunities."

She says every parent needs to take the time to really listen to their child

Ayers, "So many times kids here will tell us they told their mom, their grandma or their teacher and nobody did anything, and I don't think it is that they told everything - they just dropped little hints...and we're supposed to know. "That's like them saying I don't like going to his house because he's weird and we just dismiss it in the middle of cooking dinner an getting homework done. Yeah he's weird. We all know he's weird... and just move on instead of really saying - 'What do you mean by weird, why did you say that."

Dad, "They're right there to help out every time you are in a crisis or in a little bit of a need and when they come to your rescue - you hate to question it much. But there gets to be a point in time where it just feels wrong."

They just wished they had followed their instincts

Dad, "It's painful to watch because all of my children were very outgoing , very involved, with lots of things - and when this happened, over time you could see them becoming more withdrawn, their grades got steadily worse."

Serese, "Do you have any advice for parents?
Dad, "Believe your kids. This guy would have been dealt with a long time ago if more parents would have believed their children."