Bikers Against Child Abuse protect kids, face abusers head-on

Bikers taking a stand against child abuse

Bikers Against Child Abuse, BACA, help protect children who have been abused. FOX 13's Danielle Zulkosky reports.

TAMPA, Fla. - There is a group of bikers who are taking an important message on the road.

"So, we use our big, ugly, mean-looking side to help the kids feel empowered," Mello, the chapter president for the Bay Bridges chapter of Bikers Against Child Abuse, said. "We want these kids not to live in fear."

BACA takes their road names with them on their motorcycles to show their support for children who have been abused.

"We're all about helping these kids become empowered not to live in fear," Mello said. "And by looking big and mean and scary, we look bigger and meaner and scarier than their abuser does."

Why you should care:

The group helps protect children at home and accompanies them to court to help them face their abusers.

"Abuse is a cyclical thing, where if you were abused as a kid, you're more likely to be an abuser as an adult," Mello said. "So by helping the kids, we're helping to break that cycle of abuse."

The bikers only give out their "road names."

Mello described his most meaningful interaction with a survivor.

"She's pulling up her sleeve on her hoodie and points to a tattoo and says, 'This was my Road Name,'" Mello said. "I'm alive because BACA was there for me."

The backstory:

The group was founded in 1995 in Utah, and it quickly expanded to include 45 total states and 18 additional countries.

There are women in Bikers Against Child Abuse too, and they help kids who might not be ready to be around a man.

Badd Bob is the public relations officer for Bikers Against Child Abuse in Florida.

"Do they need two women? Do they need two men? Do they [need] a man and a woman? They kind of figure out what the child will be more comfortable with," Badd Bob said.

One of the bikers named Badd Bob said they also make sure the kids are part of the process.

"They pick the 'Road Name.' We let them make the decisions all the way down," Badd Bob said. "We don't tell them what to do. There are enough people in the world telling them what to do. We just want them to start feeling that empowerment and that courage."

Dig deeper:

Bikers Against Child Abuse is an international charity where they have strict standards to protect children.

"You first have to go through an FBI background check," Mello said. "It takes 12 to 18 months before we let you work directly with a kid."

The group also requires two members be with the kids at all times for the safety of the child and the members.

What you can do:

All the members work on a volunteer basis, so the group relies on donations to continue. You can support the group here.

If you know a child that needs help from BACA, you can find more information about the Bay Bridges Chapter, covering the Bay Area, here.

You can find a full list of Florida chapters here, a list of participating states here, and countries here.