> At a Glance
> – Amanda Mustard spent eight years documenting her grandfather’s sexual abuse
> – Dr. William Flickinger abused toddlers, women, and family members
> – $5.4 billion spent yearly on incarceration vs. $3 million on prevention
> – Why it matters: 15% of U.S. adults survived child sexual abuse, mostly by people they know
Amanda Mustard turned her family’s darkest secret into an HBO documentary after discovering her grandfather’s decades of abuse. Her film Great Photo, Lovely Life challenges how society views predators and prevention.
The Investigation
Mustard began filming after visiting her grandfather in Florida following her grandmother’s death. Dr. William Flickinger, a former Pennsylvania chiropractor, had abused victims from toddlers to adult women since the 1970s.
During interviews at his retirement facility, Mustard asked if he’d ever considered seeking help.
> “Did you ever open up?” Mustard asked.
> “I wished I could have,” Flickinger responded. “I wanted to talk to somebody, but I didn’t know who I could really talk to.”
Public Reaction
After her January 8 video op-ed for the New York Times, Mustard faced violent suggestions from the public.
People told her she “should have killed” her grandfather instead of filming him.
“Nothing provokes us like child sexual abuse, and I get it,” Mustard said. “That rage is totally valid. But my story has taught me that if we really want to protect kids, then we need to confront a painful truth.”
Systemic Failures
Flickinger’s case illustrates how punishment alone fails to stop abuse:
- Lost his chiropractic license
- Served 2 years in prison for 1992 child abuse conviction
- Continued abusing after release
- Died alone at age 86 in March 2019
“My family’s story might seem extreme, but child sexual abuse is way more common than we think,” Mustard explained. “15 percent of American adults today are child sexual abuse survivors, and 90 percent of them were abused by someone they know, maybe someone they loved.”
Prevention vs. Punishment
The filmmaker advocates for treatment programs over pure incarceration:
- Post-prison reentry programs reduce repeat offenses
- Prevention programs need more funding and research
- Current spending prioritizes punishment over prevention
“I’m not asking you to have sympathy for sexual predators,” Mustard clarified. “Of course, we need to hold perpetrators criminally accountable, but my grandpa went to prison and nothing changed.”
Key Takeaways
- Most child sexual abuse involves someone the victim knows
- Prevention programs receive minimal funding compared to incarceration
- Treatment programs can reduce repeat offenses
- Survivors need support systems that acknowledge abuse complexity
- Mustard’s documentary aims to help survivors feel seen
“I made this for them to feel seen,” Mustard said of survivors. “I did not make this for true crime buffs. I did not make this for people who want easy answers.”
