In his book Manson in his Own Words, Charles Manson gives a detailed account of his formative years (1986). While this account must be analyzed with caution since Manson is a psychopath with various other mental conditions, it offers valuable insight into the occurrences of his early life -- something only he can provide. As a deviant child with a neglectful mother, there is little record of what occurred during his childhood other than what he has chosen to share during various interviews as well as in this book co authored by Nuel Emmons. Manson recounts his childhood as being one of hardship. He was born to an unmarried woman living on the streets at the time who neglected him. He claims that by age five he was begging for food on the street, and by age seven he had a following of other children stealing things for him. By age nine he was robbing people and businesses at gun point. He claims to have "raped a preachers daughter and choked her little brother to keep him from snitching on me" before twelve years of age (24). He was selling dope and manipulating young girls to bring him money from prostituting themselves. His mother had been incarcerated multiple times during his childhood leaving him to be raised by whatever relative was willing to take him on. By age twelve, his mother was deemed unable to care for him and he was subsequently sent to an array of state facilities. Manson managed to escape one facility in Terre Haute, Indiana however was promptly returned by his mother the following day. After his stint in that facility, he began living on the street and stealing regularly. He proceeded to spend most of the remainder of his childhood at various reform schools during which time he was repeatedly sexually assaulted.