A woman has launched a heartbreaking investigation into sexual abuse committed by her own grandfather as she tries to track down dozens of his victims.
Photojournalist Amanda Mustard, who grew up on a Christmas tree farm in rural Pennsylvania, described William Flickinger as a “sensitive, sensitive grandpa.”
She is now a central figure in HBO’s upcoming documentary Great Photo, Lovely Life: Facing A Family’s Secret, which has been nine years in the making.
In it, Amanda delves into the serial abuse committed by her grandfather, while uncovering “decades of secrecy and cover-up rooted in shame and self-deception, and discovering the dysfunction lurking in her own family.”
Photojournalist Amanda Mustard, who grew up on a Christmas tree farm in rural Pennsylvania, described William Flickinger as a “sensitive grandpa”
During the investigation, Amanda sits down with Flickinger, who was reportedly attracted to girls as young as four years old, for “grim, confessional interviews.”
The moving trailer opens with footage taken during Amanda’s work travels, as she explains how her career has helped shape her views: ‘I love that I can make uncovering the truth about something part of my job.
‘I had a new language to describe things that I thought all my life were normal.
“Just like the way some men treated me and my body, that was basically an attack.
“Or my sensitive, sensitive grandpa is actually a pedophile.”
Speaking of watching old family footage of her grandfather, who worked as a local chiropractor, she continued, “When I watch these tapes, I see a man with a serious problem who knows he won’t get caught.”
During the investigation, Amanda talks to Flickinger, who was reportedly attracted to girls as young as four years old, for “grim, confessional interviews.”
She asked if there was anyone he ever felt he could talk to about it, and he simply sighed.
And when Amanda asked if he thought God had forgiven him, he said: ‘Absolute.’
Elsewhere, it becomes clear that Amanda’s relationship with her mother is under strain due to the abuse and ‘the complexity of the silence that followed’.
Speaking about watching old family footage of her grandfather, who worked as a local chiropractor, she continued: ‘When I watch these tapes I see a man with a serious problem who knows he won’t get caught.’
Amanda’s mother said candidly: ‘Of course I feel responsible. She is my child, and I have always wanted to protect her.”
Elsewhere, it becomes clear that Amanda’s relationship with her mother is strained due to the abuse and “the complexity of the silence that followed.”
Amanda’s mother said candidly: ‘Of course I feel responsible. She is my child and I have always wanted to protect her.”
Turning to her daughter, she added, “If you stay angry and can’t forgive someone, you drink the poison yourself. You have to let go.’
But this apparently didn’t go down well with Amanda, who later stated: ‘I would like my relationship with my mother not to end.’
In the documentary, the tenacious photojournalist posts dozens of letters to people who had previously used her grandfather as a chiropractor.
In the documentary, the tenacious photojournalist (shown as a child) posts dozens of letters to people who had previously used her grandfather as a chiropractor.
Flickinger, whose license as a chiropractor was revoked in 1982, served a modest prison sentence in 1992 – before that he received only two years of probation for committing statutory rape
The notes read: “I am writing to you because you may have been a former patient of William Flickinger, and I am in the process of taking responsibility for my grandfather’s actions.”
Amanda tearfully concludes, “If I can be the one to come forward and officially say, ‘He did this. You can’t deny it,’ then that’s the least I can do.”
Flickinger, whose license as a chiropractor was revoked in 1982, served a modest prison sentence in 1992 – and before that he received only two years of probation for committing statutory rape.
HBO’s Great Photo, Lovely Life: Facing a Family’s Secret airs December 5.