Scarred: A Memoir of a Childhood Stolen and a Life Reclaimed

A memoir of trauma and transformation by a man who was haunted by childhood abuse but who fought his way back—a journey from vengeance and prison to freedom and redemption.

For a boy growing up in the 1970s, rural northern New Jersey was a year-round playground, filled with secret fishing holes, enchanted woods, and private trails to explore with friends. But this childhood idyll was snatched from Clark Fredericks by a man he regarded as a local hero: Dennis Pegg, the town’s Boy Scout leader, a law enforcement officer with the Sussex County Sheriff’s Department, and, as Fredericks would discover, a serial predator.

Through his teenage years and young adulthood, Fredericks kept silent about the horrific abuse he experienced, turning to drugs, alcohol, gambling, and sex addiction to numb the memory. For decades, he remained tormented by shame, unable to share the secrets that were eating away at his psyche—until he violently confronted his abuser.

At once heartbreaking and uplifting, Scarred is the story of a man who overcame the destructive aftereffects of violence and abuse that nearly destroyed him. Now an advocate for victims and a prominent voice in support of child abuse law reform, Fredericks powerfully illustrates the healing power of love and trust.