Dean Tong
Tong in 2013
EducationBachelor of Science in Biology and Pre-Medicine from Northeastern University
Master of Science in Psychology and the Law in Child Forensic Studies from the University of Portsmouth
Occupation(s)author,[1] public speaker, consultant,[2] trial expert[3]
Websitehttp://abuse-excuse.com/

Dean Tong is an American author, public speaker, consultant,[4] and trial expert in the field of false child abuse allegations.[2][3] He has consulted for the media on cases such as that of Elian Gonzalez.[5] He is the author of three books inspired by his personal experience with being accused of child abuse in 1985.[1] In addition to testifying as an expert witness,[6] he has appeared on radio talk shows and television speaking on the topic of false abuse accusations. He has also been quoted by publications on the topic including by the Chicago Defender,[7] The Virginian-Pilot,[8] The Boston Globe,[5] and The Denver Post.[9]

Early life and education

Tong graduated from Hull High School. He later obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and Pre-Medicine from Northeastern University in 1979.[10]

He went on to study at the University of Portsmouth and Leeds in the United Kingdom where he obtained a master's degree in Psychology and the Law in Child Forensic Studies in 2006. His master thesis at the University of Portsmouth entitled "Penile Plethysmograph, Abel Assessment for Sexual Interest, and MSI-II: Are They Speaking the Same Language" was published in the May/June 2007 issue of the American Journal of Family Therapy.[11]

He originally worked as a laboratory medical technologist.[10]

Criminal sexual abuse allegations; dropped for lack of evidence

In 1985, Tong was accused by his then-wife of sexually abusing his 3-year-old daughter.[3][12] His daughter herself accused him of sexually abusing her.[13] He was in a custody battle with his estranged wife at the time.[10] He was subsequently arrested, charged with capital sexual battery, and placed under court order not to see his children.[3] Tong spent two weeks in jail.[1] The criminal charges were dropped against him 14 months later for lack of evidence.[10] Tong then faced ten years of legal battles including two lawsuits and spent $120,000 on eight lawyers and seven psychiatrists to clear his name, while his children live with their mother.[3]

Domestic violence and witness tampering charges

In January 2008, Tong was arrested and charged with domestic violence and tampering with a witness to avoid prosecution. The sheriffs deputies' arrest affidavit stated that Tong had grabbed his then-wife's arm, and slammed her foot in a bedroom door during an argument, leading to her suffering bruises on her arm and leg.[14] It was alleged that when she then tried to call 911, he took her phone from her and told her he would "ruin her" if she called police.[15] He was released from the Hillsborough County Jail on $1,000 bail.[16]

Career

Tong runs a consultancy in Florida by the name of Abuse Excuse. His consultancy is in the fields of divorce, child custody, abuse accusations, sexual or physical child abuse, domestic violence, parental alienation, and sexual allegations in divorce.[2] He has given expert testimony in 10 states in cognitive child development psychology and is contracted to perform critique of investigations conducted by Child Protective Services and law enforcement agencies related to accusations of abuse as well as forensic interviews of children allegedly abused.[2] He has also been appointed by courts as an expert witness for criminal indigent defendants.[6] Tong has also been hired by protective mothers who lose child custody because they are perceived to be coaching their children to make false abuse allegations against fathers.[17][18]

Tong was part of the legal team for Darren Mack during his divorce.[2][19][20] Mack was later charged with the murder of his estranged wife as well as the sniper shooting of the judge who handled the divorce proceedings.[21] After the shooting, he spoke with Mack by telephone and informed him to turn himself into authorities.[19] He also authored an op-ed piece in the Las Vegas Review Journal condemning Mack's actions.[22] Tong appeared in the 2007 CBS 48 Hours Mystery Special documenting the events surrounding Mack and the murder of his wife[21] as well as commentary about the case on Rita Cosby: Live & Direct[19] Tong has made other appearances on national television talk shows, including on Dr. Phil,[17] CNN's Nancy Grace, and The Montel Williams Show.[23]

Tong was a media consultant to WFTV Channel 9 during the trial of Casey Anthony[24] and a media consultant for cases such as the Elián González affair, Murder of JonBenét Ramsey, and the sexual abuse allegations against Michael Jackson from 2003 to 2005.[25] He was also a media consultant to ABC News during the Kobe Bryant sexual assault case in 2003.[26]

Tong signing autographs at the 2000 F.A.C.T. – Parenting Conference.

Tong is a public speaker and has performed engagements including keynote speaker at FathersDay2000, a rally held in Washington DC to spread awareness of fathers who are not allowed to participate in raising their children.[27] He has also spoke as part of the Children's Rights Council national conference.[28]

Tong is the author of three books and publications on the topic of false abuse allegations. In 1992, Tong published Don't Blame ME, Daddy: False Accusations of Child Sexual Abuse.[29] It was written after his legal battles to prove his innocence of accusations against him.[3] The book detailed the increase of false accusations of child sexual abuse in relation to divorce and child custody cases.[29] He followed up with the book Ashes to Ashes, Families to Dust in 1996. The book provided information for those falsely accused of abuse. In 2002, Tong published his third book, Elusive Innocence: Survival Guide for the Falsely Accused.[30] The book, which targeted attorneys, detailed the difference between actual abuse and false accusations of abuse as well as domestic violence allegations.[30][31] It included chapters on fighting false accusations and a summary of case studies involving false accusations.[31] Tong also penned the foreword to the 2009 book I'm Going to be a Dad, Now What? written by Craig Baird.[32]

Bibliography

  • 2002, Elusive Innocence: Survival Guide for the Falsely Accused[31]
  • 1996, Ashes to Ashes, Families to Dust: False Accusations of Child Abuse: A Roadmap for Survivors
  • 1992, Don't Blame ME, Daddy: False Accusations of Child Sexual Abuse[29]

Select publications

Personal

Tong has served as the president of VOCAL (Victims of Child Abuse Laws) in the Tampa Bay area.[3]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Lynn Carson (November 6, 2010). False Allegations – Fathers Fighting Back (Television News). WFLA-TV NBC Channel 8.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Nancy Grace, Dean Tong (June 13, 2006). Breaking News Following Yesterday’s Courthouse Shooting in Nevada (transcript of video) (Television News). CNN.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Work, Deborah (April 7, 1996). "Author Seeks New Protections". Sun-Sentinel. Retrieved August 18, 2013.
  4. ↑ Erdely, Sabrina Rubin (January 22, 2009). "Sex Lies and Phys Ed". Rolling Stone Magazine.
  5. 1 2 Sutton, Jane (January 7, 2000). "Cuban Boy Faces Deep Psychological Scars". Reuters. Retrieved August 18, 2013.
  6. 1 2 Waltman, Scott (March 15, 2011). "Judge approves defense assistance in abuse case". Aberdeen News. Retrieved August 22, 2013.
  7. ↑ Daniels, Theo (July 4, 2012). "Single Dads Exist". Chicago Defender. Archived from the original on August 8, 2014. Retrieved August 18, 2013.
  8. ↑ Simpson, Elizabeth (June 21, 2007). "Campaign Advocates Recognizing, Reporting Suspected Abuse". The Virginian-Pilot. Archived from the original on August 8, 2014. Retrieved August 18, 2013.
  9. ↑ Briggs, Bill (August 26, 1992). "Child Sex-Abuse Charges Balloon". The Denver Post.
  10. 1 2 3 4 Carton, Barbara (April 5, 1993). "A Father Falsely Accused Dean Tong Is A New Class Of Victim". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on October 31, 2012. Retrieved August 18, 2013.
  11. ↑ Tong, Dean (May–June 2007). "The Penile Plethysmograph, Abel Assessment for Sexual Interest and MSI-II". The American Journal of Family Therapy. 35 (3): 187–202. doi:10.1080/01926180701226762.
  12. ↑ Clark, Lesley (March 4, 1997). "Parents Group: Restrain Power of Children's Agency". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved August 22, 2013.
  13. ↑
  14. ↑
  15. ↑
  16. ↑
  17. 1 2 "Custody Battles". Dr. Phil. Retrieved August 22, 2013. (Slideshow of episode)
  18. ↑ Fernandes, Gina (January 19, 2010). "Custody Crisis: Why Moms Are Punished In Court". MomLogic. Retrieved August 25, 2013.
  19. 1 2 3 Cosby, Rita (June 14, 2006). "Rita Cosby Live & Direct". Rita Cosby Live & Direct. MSNBC. Retrieved August 22, 2013.
  20. ↑ Glatt, John (2012). Love Her to Death. St. Martins Press. ISBN 9780312947859.
  21. 1 2 Caught In The Crossfire (Television Special). 48 Hours Mystery. February 24, 2007.
  22. ↑ Tong, Dean (June 28, 2006). "Mack Has Failed Fathers Everywhere". Las Vegas Review Journal.
  23. ↑ Montel Williams, Dean Tong (October 24, 2000). Abused by My Teacher (Television). CBS Television.
  24. ↑ Jeff Deal, Dean Tong (June 6, 2011). Casey on Trial (Television News). WFTV Channel 9.
  25. ↑ Thomson, Linda (June 15, 2005). "Jackson's Case Unique, Experts Say". Desert News. Retrieved August 22, 2013.
  26. ↑ DuBreuil, Jim (October 16, 2003). "Does Sex Polygraph Rule Out Child Abuse". ABC News. Retrieved August 22, 2013.
  27. ↑ Jenkins, Chris (June 19, 2000). "For Some Fathers, A Day To Protest". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on April 15, 2016. Retrieved August 18, 2013.
  28. ↑ "April 30 – May 5, 2001". The Washington Post. April 29, 2001. Archived from the original on November 16, 2018. Retrieved August 18, 2013.
  29. 1 2 3 Don't Blame ME Daddy: False Accusations of Child Sexual Abuse. Educational Resources Information Center. 1991. ISBN 9781878901293. Retrieved August 18, 2013.
  30. 1 2 Finley, Gordon. "Father – Child Relationships Following Divorce". Encyclopedia of Human Ecology. 1: A-H: 291–293.
  31. 1 2 3 "Elusive Innocence: Survival Guide for the Falsely Accused". Florida Bar Journal. July 1, 2002. Archived from the original on March 7, 2016. Retrieved August 18, 2013.
  32. ↑ Baird, Craig (2009). I'm Going To Be A Dad, Now What?. Atlantic Publishing Company. ISBN 9781601383952.
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