Anti-human trafficking advocate releases new book

by William J. Dagendesh

COLORADO SPRINGS. An acclaimed Colorado author, speaker and anti-human trafficking advocate has released a new book that delves into the lives of individuals who battle evil in today’s diabolic world.

“It’s Not About the dEvil: True Stories About Fighting Evil in the Modern World” by John DiGirolamo is a dramatized non-fiction account of three people at war with evil in modern society: a police officer who battles online predators, an abortion doctor who transforms into a pro-life advocate and an insider’s view into an exorcist team confronting evil forces.

The police officer goes undercover online as a 13-year-old girl to reveal the perils of sexting and how predators exploit teens. An abortion doctor, Catherine, experiences a life-changing moment that prompts a Christ-centered transformation to become a pro-life advocate. A third individual, Clement, assists an exorcist engaging in direct combat with fallen angels in spiritual warfare.

According to DiGirolamo, Satan is the book’s ultimate predator. “I focused on people who are standing up to modern evil. (The book) is a dramatized nonfiction account of compelling individuals, showcasing these true stories. The devil is busy in our modern society and his greatest trick is convincing us that he doesn’t exist,” DiGirolamo said.

DiGirolamo believes the book can benefit readers because its unique combination of intense and fast-paced plot lines simultaneously reveal how modern evil works in today’s society. He said it is inspiring to see how these individuals, in their own way, stand up to evil in today’s self-centered society.

The book opens with the true story of a police officer who goes undercover online as a 13-year-old girl. DiGirolamo encourages parents to read the storyline that explains the how, where and why predators operate online.

DiGirolamo said parents should be worried because “Teen sexting is pervasive and starts in middle school.” When teens view pornography at a young age, viewing content becomes normalized, so creating content doesn’t seem odd, he said.

“You wouldn’t let your 11-year-old wander the mall unsupervised, so why would you let her wander around the Internet? Through storytelling, real world predator tactics are shown to the reader,” DiGirolamo said.

Through this book, DiGirolamo gets into the mind of a predator, and ties the viewing of pornography to warped cultural views of intimacy, relationships and marriage. The story details what one officer did to stop predators and how he helped parents navigate the dangers to protect their children.

“Every parent needs to see how this can happen and the chapter details the step-by-step tactics of an online predator,” DiGirolamo said. “My most popular presentation at parishes is about Internet safety tips for parents.”

The second story looks at an abortion doctor who experiences a profound conversion. It begins with a dramatic moment where God gets the doctor’s attention — the start of the doctor’s journey. God gently nudges her into realizing the humanity and value of human life. The chapter includes personal details from the doctor’s life, and the story intertwines personal failures, grief, sorrow, abortion recovery and miscarriage subplots.

“The story also subtly shows how the culture and the decline of traditional values have impacted abortion in this country,” DiGirolamo said.

The third story describes a man who dabbled in the occult and undergoes an exorcism as a result.

“This insider’s view reveals the danger of the occult as a gateway to dark forces. If you invite God into your life, he will respond. The occult is looking to conjure power not from God, meaning that you are seeking power that is essentially unholy. So, if you invite the demon in, he will also respond.”

The story’s main character is the exorcist’s assistant, and the narrative details the process of an exorcism, DiGirolamo said. The Catholic Church doesn’t take requests for exorcism lightly, and the person must undergo a physical and mental exam before proceeding. The process can take months. Ultimately, the person must be willing to change their life, otherwise the diabolic affliction may continue.

DiGirolamo said that part of his motive for writing the book was to dispel some of the myths and stereotypes surrounding the subject of exorcism and spirtual warfare. In his research, he interviewed an acknowledged expert on the subject.

“I didn’t know much about spiritual warfare. I wrote this for the non-expert, and people can see what actually happens, from an insider’s point of view, rather than learning about exorcisms from a movie,” DiGirolamo said.

“Readers can discover the inner workings of demons through an account of the pitfalls of human sin, and how the power of Christ prevails,” he said.

DiGirolamo is board president of the Chaffee County nonprofit Bringing Our Valley Hope, that seeks to end human trafficking in central Colorado through education. He spent 35 years working in corporate America in finance and accounting.

DiGirolamo’s previous books have included “It’s Not About the Badge,” which looks at the lives of police officers,  and “It’s Not About the Sex,” which covers the topic of human trafficking. He is available to speak to local churches and organizations.

Published by Covenant Books, Inc., “It’s Not About the dEvil” is 392 pages and is sold for $19.95 on Amazon and Barnes & Noble online. An eBook version also is available. To learn more visit https://itisnotabout.com/.