What happens when the very person meant to protect a child becomes their abuser? For one man, this haunting question defines his entire childhood. At just ten years old, he endured repeated physical abuse at the hands of his own mother—an unthinkable violation of trust, safety, and innocence. Years later, he faces a chilling uncertainty: Could his little brother actually be his son? His story is not just about personal trauma, but about the silence society maintains around male physical abuse and incest. These are the stories often swept under the rug, too uncomfortable to confront—yet they’re painfully real for survivors.
When the Abuser Is A Parent: The Ultimate Betrayal
According to statements made in court, another deeply disturbing incident occurred in late 2008. Unfortunately, that was not the end. The abuse continued, with additional incidents taking place until around 2014. Doreene Gifford has always insisted she is innocent. However, after Logan opened up to a therapist about what he had endured, she entered what is known as an ‘Alford’ plea. An Alford plea is a type of legal agreement where the accused maintains their innocence but accepts that the evidence gathered by prosecutors would likely lead to a conviction if the case were to go to trial.
The Silence Around Male Sexual Abuse
A judge sentenced Doreene to serve between eight and 10 years in prison and ordered her to register as a s*x offender. When Logan was 17, he was in a therapy session where the therapist raised a painful and shocking possibility: that his younger brother, born in 2009, might actually be his biological son, according to reporting from the Las Vegas Review Journal. “Look at the mess that I’m left with,” Logan Gifford said to the Las Vegas Review Journal.
“I didn’t ask for any of this. I was a child when all of this happened and yet now I’m responsible for picking up the pieces of something that really is still continuing to have an impact in my life and dragging me to deal with that. I feel that as though it is my obligation or my duty to (him) to do this and find out who his biological father really is.”
A DNA Nightmare: Could His Brother Be His Son?
Logan, who has since earned a college degree and now works as an account executive, has taken steps to try and get answers. He has filed a paternity petition and has said he is open to taking a DNA test to determine if he is indeed the father of his younger brother. At present, his younger brother is living with Logan, along with Logan’s wife and stepdaughter.
Logan has been granted temporary guardianship of the child as the situation unfolds. Logan’s attorney, Timothy Treffinger, explained that if the DNA test confirms Logan as the father, the legal proceedings will shift into a custody case. However, if he is not the father, it will remain a guardianship matter.