Real reason uncle is in prison shocks

DEAR ABBY: I cannot believe it! My parents tricked me into comforting a child molester.

When I was young, my uncle “Dave” went to prison. My family told it like this: “Dave had an affair with a 17-yearold girl who was pretending to be 18. They made a sex tape, her parents found it and accused him of rape. He went to prison for life.”

They say he made “poor decisions” but doesn’t deserve his prison sentence or the family neglect. I felt bad for him, so I willingly joined in phone calls and letter writing.

I recently mentioned all this to a friend who is experienced in the legal field. He thought the story sounded peculiar, so we looked up Dave and found out he had multiple counts of sexual assault on a child under 14.

I’m floored. Should I confront them? Should I tell my brother? I want nothing to do with Dave, and I’m horrified that my parents would lie in his defense. — Horrified in Oklahoma

DEAR HORRIFIED: I can understand why you want nothing to do with this relative. Tell your parents that you have written to me. Ask them why they chose to minimize what your uncle did and encourage you to communicate with a predator.

You should absolutely tell your brother what has been happening because it’s appalling.

DEAR ABBY: I love my boyfriend. We have been together nearly six years, but there are a few issues. The biggest one is his diet.

He eats like it’s going out of style. The only reason he’s not 400 pounds is because his job keeps him active. He has put on 60 pounds since we started dating, and we can no longer sleep together because of the snoring his weight gain has caused.

When we first started seeing each other, he was fit and active. Now he comes home, eats and stares at his phone.

I feel he has chosen food over me. I’m only 27, and I know I’ll have to sleep alone for however long I’m with him. I make an effort to maintain myself for him, but clearly, the favor isn’t returned. — Worrying in Florida

DEAR WORRYING: If nothing makes your boyfriend happier than eating a cookie, it’s time you got to the bottom of what is eating HIM. When a fit and active person suddenly loses interest in his health and becomes careless about his diet, one has to wonder if he may be using food to cope with painful or unpleasant emotions. Continue to help and support him as much as you can, but frankly, it may be time for the two of you to seek relationship counseling from a licensed mental health professional.

Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www. Dearabby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.