emphryio

So, if in the 30 seconds after I finish this post I do a search for child porn and click on a link, does that mean I'm a criminal?

Or do I have to spend 1 more minute downloading something and then from the privacy of my own house, never having committed a crime in my life, (One speeding ticket ten years ago), then I become a criminal who could get a long jail sentence?

Correct?

I'm not into that sort of thing but.... I do get curious about literally everything. Out of curiousity I've looked at pictures of mangled corpses on the internet.

But if I ever got curious about child porn, I could commit a crime sitting here with my computer and go to jail.

Somehow that doesn't seem right. (Or do I have to spend money on it to have committed a crime.)

What do you think? Is the law going overboard here?

Jinto

Yes.

Demosthenes

I feel that it's largely about the intention, if you're curious about what constitues child porn, then there's nothing stopping you from finding out more. Ethically it may be wrong, but legally, there's nothing that will happen to you if you're going to take a peek so to speak. If you end up going futher and actively search out child porn, subsidize the industry so to speak, well you're a lot more likely to be caught by the law enforcements.

Note, the age laws are different in other countries, so what legally constitues child porn may not be child porn in say England. Although I'm sure you're distinguishing from porn containing 10-13 years old minors from porn containing 17 years old minors. But what is the apparent difference between an illegal 17 years old minor in a porn film from a legal 18 years old? Not that much difference and then you throw in the artifically generated child porn without any actual minor participants...

fatherphil

i'll go out on a limb here and say that the right thing to do is to resist this curiosity of yours.

Pat Kelly

emphryio,

I agree with your premise. I for one do not like the idea of some old ladies or religious fanatics trying to tell me what I can and cannot look at or think about. This directly opposes the fundamental concepts of personal freedoms that America is supposed to stand for.

It seems some people feel compelled to see themselves as humanity’s morality police and like to play the role of a perpetual parent. Well I am an adult now and I do not need to be told by someone whose IQ is likely half my own the meaning of right and wrong and how I should lead my life.

I just read that Wal-Mart has decided not to carry certain magazines because some group pressured them not to. While this group is likely celebrating in some church basement, another small piece of freedom has died in America.

I have nothing against those who wish to live their lives pursuing delusions. Unfortunately, pursuing delusions also means you must try to get everyone else to pursue the same delusions before their lifestyles or beliefs challenge your delusions. This is not religious freedom or public standards of decency but an irrational attempt to have everyone be the same. Hitler and many others have tried the exact same thing but have always failed because the basis premise of remaking humanity into something it is not is simply impossible.

From a rational perspective, there is nothing wrong with seeing visual records of children enjoying their sexuality. From an irrational perspective, many would say children do not experience sexual drives and feelings and are somehow pure because of it. Some parrot other ideas that claim child pornography can only come from situations where children are artificially induced to mimic adult sexual behavior via some form of exploitation. The consensus seems to be that children need to and should be protected from sex. What a load of irrational garbage!

I am not a pedophile nor am I sexually attracted to children. However, I greatly resent the ignorance that is slowly placing more and more limits upon my behaviors, beliefs and even my thoughts. Beyond that, it pains me to see generations of children who have had their sexuality stolen from them by a group of paranoid, righteous idiots who are about as qualified to know what is in the best interest of children as those who once sacrificed children to volcano gods.


:notworthy

keyser_soze

The problem comes about that a lot of the child porn is created by abusing children. Further, the pictures you are looking at have the possibility of being a child that was kidnapped and later murdered.

I think people have been crying "my rights" too long, they forget that their rights end where the next guys start. You DO NOT HAVE THE RIGHT to infringe on another being for your own pleasure. I won't even go into why the legalities of it are in place. I won't even go into the sick fuckers lives who put that out on the internet. [personal threat deleted] You obviously have never interacted with the "models" in these pictures and movies, never tried to help a parent deal with screaming night terrors and physical consequences of incompatible physiques. I have dealt with 10 year old girls who've been mutilated and damaged emotionally and mentally for the rest of their lives because some perv decided they "wanted" her. I left social work for a combination of reasons...Too many crack heads following me home, and when I found I could no longer restrain the impulse to reach out and rip the throat out of a child abuser. My stance has only gotten firmer, and I cannot even believe people tolerate such people to exist. I wouldn't. Fuck your rights to support human monsters.

Pat Kelly

Really??? You base this statement upon what? Personal experience? Scientific evidence? What you read in the newspaper? How could you possibly know?

QUOTE]Further, the pictures you are looking at have the possibility of being a child that was kidnapped and later murdered.[/QUOTE]

Really??? Why don't you say what you really believe? All these kids were later abducted by aliens and dissected! (Makes about as much sense.) If we imprison people for looking at the wrong kind of pictures we can make sure all kids grow up to be productive heterosexuals... like George Bush. Right?

[personal attack deleted] Are you able to back up any of this with the least bit of logic or rationalism [personal attack deleted]?

If you were ever involved in any type of social work at a professional level there is little evidence of it in your post. Beyond that your anger or threats do not impress me as if there is any reason I should be intimidated. You and I both know the only people who resorts to such simplemindedness and the first to run when things heat up. [personal attack deleted]

Clarice

To follow up on what Keyser said, I believe the rationale is something along these lines:

- Children are harmed during the making of child pornography.
- Without demand for it, no one would make child pornography.
- Therefore, it is justifiable to punish those who create demand by viewing child porn, as well as those who actually produce the porn.

Are children sexual creatures? Yes - children will masturbate and enjoy their own bodies if allowed to do so. Is it possible that one could photograph children "enjoying their sexuality" without harming the children? Perhaps.* However, from my understanding, much child pornography is far more than passively photographing a child who is masturbating of his own volition. It is, in effect, sexual abuse of children which is photographed. The risk of harm to the most vulnerable members of society is grave enough that we must craft a prohibition that will best insure that no child is harmed. If that includes some cases that would have been harmless, the benefit still outweighs the cost.

I do know that some laws prohibit the production and viewing of things like drawings of children having sex. While I think the people involved in this stuff are reprehensible sick garbage, I don't think the laws are justified unless someone can demonstrate that viewing such pictures incites people to harm children.

*Personally, I think it is immoral to exploit someone without their consent. I also believe children are incapable of consent to things like this.

HaysooChreesto!

I agree 100%. There's a lot more things worth being curious about. There are undoubtedly books on the subject.
Don't go stepping in dog doo-doo just to see how disgusting it is.

Ut

Then what about computer-generated child porn?