Anti-pedophile activism: Difference between revisions

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Anti-pedophile (or anti-paedophile) activism encompasses opposition to pedophiles, pro-pedophile activism, child pornography and child sexual abuse.

Local activism

Some local groups have taken to marching in opposition to the locations of various child sex offenders whom they and tabloid newspapers such as The News of the World label as pedophiles.^[1] Members of the Edinburgh based Society Against Pedophiles are reported to have traveled the city streets in a blacked out van, whilst using night-vision goggles to monitor the offenders.^[2]^[3] The group shut down in April of 2007 following clashes with suspected sex offenders.^[4] In the Netherlands, the pedophile activist group Vereniging MARTIJN has been protested by the far right Nationale Alliante.^[5]

Internet activism and vigilantism

Against real or potential offenders

Perverted Justice is an anti-pedophile organisation that aims to expose and convict adults who solicit minors in order to commit child sexual abuse on the internet. They often collaborate with law enforcement and television crews. Some freely hosted blogs also claim to expose real or potential child sex offenders.

Another initiative, Predator Hunter, headed by Wendell Kreuth, aims to track down and expose the pornography-related activities of alleged 'sexual predators'. In 2002, Kreuth disclosed details of his activities in an interview with Minnesota Public Radio^[6] (note that the websites featured in the article are in fact legal).^[7]

Against pedophile activists

CorporateSexOffenders.com was created by some administrators behind Perverted-Justice.com with a mission statement to target corporations and the pedophiles they allow to use their services ^[8]

The website, created in late June, has already notched one win in their "war against pedophile activists" with the arrest of James P. Finn III of Michigan. Their first featured "article of the month" on their Wikisposure Project ^[9] ended up being arrested after fliers alerted his community to his online pedophile activism. He was found with 600 images and 30 videos of child pornography. He faces up to 20 years in jail[3]. James Finn III is the webmaster of one of the oldest pedophile activist communities, BoyChat.org. ^[10]

Finn represented the idea that BoyChat and other pedophile resources were not breeding grounds for child pornography to the media on several occasions.

Jim Finn, a New York City resident who heads both BoyChat and Free Spirits, is adamant in his belief that BoyChat does not take part in illegal activities such as child pornography trading and arranging for sexual contact between adults and children. "I have been active on BoyChat for over two years and I've been the webmaster for about 18 months and I've never known such activities to go on," he says. "First, BoyChat strictly enforces rules against such picture trading and against meeting boys. Not only do I and other administrators watch out for this, a very large cadre of regular posters are careful to warn newcomers about the realities of the board. Our rules are really self-enforcing. I know many of the regulars well – to the extent that I speak to them on the telephone and meet with them often in their homes. If there is any pornographic picture trading or other illegal activity centered on BoyChat, I am not aware of it. And I am not a naive person."^[11]

Anti-pedophile activists claim that such websites are a front for illicit activity and that pedophile claims to the contrary are groundless. They claim that the arrest of James Finn III illustrates the falseness of pedophile defenses of pro-pedophile "resources" such as BoyChat.org.

One website makes it clear that they do not support violence against pedophiles, but nevertheless do not want to see them expressing pro-pedophile viewpoints on the Internet.^[12]

Absolute Zero United challenges the pedophile activists' view of their condition as a "protected sexual preference" and instead views pedophilia as a "deviant mental illness" that does not deserve protection. While they state their mission is to monitor and report illegal activities, their mission statement does not endorse vigilantism. ^[13]

Bill O'Reilly and Jessica's Law campaign

In recent years, one of the most prominent American anti-pedophile activists has been Bill O'Reilly, who publicly advocates the Jessica's Law amendment for all U.S. states. His talk show, The O'Reilly Factor, frequently airs anti-pedophile segments that support his work and pressure political figures to enact this legislation. Since O'Reilly's campaign started, 41 states have enacted the proposed legislation.^[14]

Criticism

Criticism often centers on the methods used by activists, such as the 'outing' of individuals who solicit minors for sex online - since in some cases it is claimed they get the identities wrong and target unrelated individuals.^[15].

References

^ Families flee paedophile protests August 9 2000, retrieved May 21 2007
^ Society Against Pedophiles, retrieved May 21 2007
^ Capital store denies giving free help to vigilantes, Dec 29 2006, retrieved May 21 2007
^ Paedo Hunters Go Into Hiding May 7 2007, retrived May 22 2007
^ Dutch paedophiles set up political party, May 30 2006, retrieved May 22 2007
^ Chasing online predators, April 15 2002, retrieved May 21 2007
^ The Big Chill: Verizon's decision last month to shut off a Montreal ISP for hosting edgy gay chatboards points to a colder, grayer internet ahead, November 2006, retrieved May 21 2007
^ Corporate Sex Offenders, retrieved June 25 2007
^ James Finn III, retrieved July 19th 2007
^ [1], retrieved July 19th 2007
^ [2], retrieved July 19th 2007
^ Why This Is War, retrieved May 22 2007
^ Absolute Zero United: Mission Statement, retrieved May 22 2007
^ http://www.billoreilly.com/outragefunnels
^ Perverted-Justice Distributes Fliers Containing Innocent Family's Address!, February 18 2006, retrieved May 22 2007

External links

Perverted Justice
Campaign against pedophiles
Association of Sites Advocating Child Protection
Adults against child pornography
Anti-Child Porn.org
Absolute Zero - "Fighting pedophiles around the world"
Corporate Sex Offenders
Operation: Shutdown Puellula - Campaign which lobbies other websites to delist and unlink Puellula.org
Counter-terror methods used online to trap paedophiles
Corrupted Justice

[1] Families flee paedophile protests August 9 2000, retrieved May 21 2007

[2] Society Against Pedophiles, retrieved May 21 2007

[3] Capital store denies giving free help to vigilantes, Dec 29 2006, retrieved May 21 2007

[4] Paedo Hunters Go Into Hiding May 7 2007, retrived May 22 2007

[5] Dutch paedophiles set up political party, May 30 2006, retrieved May 22 2007

[6] Chasing online predators, April 15 2002, retrieved May 21 2007

[7] The Big Chill: Verizon's decision last month to shut off a Montreal ISP for hosting edgy gay chatboards points to a colder, grayer internet ahead, November 2006, retrieved May 21 2007

[8] Corporate Sex Offenders, retrieved June 25 2007

[9] James Finn III, retrieved July 19th 2007

[10] [1], retrieved July 19th 2007

[11] [2], retrieved July 19th 2007

[12] Why This Is War, retrieved May 22 2007

[13] Absolute Zero United: Mission Statement, retrieved May 22 2007

[14] ttp://www.billoreilly.com/outragefunnels

[15] Perverted-Justice Distributes Fliers Containing Innocent Family's Address!, February 18 2006, retrieved May 22 2007

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 CorporateSexOffenders.com was created by some administrators behind Perverted-Justice.com with a mission statement to target corporations and the pedophiles they allow to use their services <ref>[http://www.corporatesexoffenders.com Corporate Sex Offenders], retrieved [[June 25]][[2007]]</ref>
-The website, created in late June, has already notched one win in their "war against pedophile activists" with the arrest of James P. Finn III of Michigan. Their first featured "article of the month" on their Wikisposure Project <ref>[http://www.corporatesexoffenders.com/wiki/Jimf3 James Finn III], retrieved [[July 19th]][[2007]]</ref> ended up being arrested after fliers alerted his community to his online pedophile activism. He was found with 600 images and 30 videos of child pornography. He faces up to 20 years in jail[http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070720/METRO/707200359/1003 Web activists help nab kid predator]. James Finn III is the webmaster of one of the oldest pedophile activist communities, BoyChat.org. <ref>[http://www.wweek.com/html/leada100798.html], retrieved [[July 19th]][[2007]]</ref>
+The website, created in late June, has already notched one win in their "war against pedophile activists" with the arrest of James P. Finn III of Michigan. Their first featured "article of the month" on their Wikisposure Project <ref>[http://www.corporatesexoffenders.com/wiki/Jimf3 James Finn III], retrieved [[July 19th]][[2007]]</ref> ended up being arrested after fliers alerted his community to his online pedophile activism. He was found with 600 images and 30 videos of child pornography. He faces up to 20 years in jail[http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070720/METRO/707200359/1003]. James Finn III is the webmaster of one of the oldest pedophile activist communities, BoyChat.org. <ref>[http://www.wweek.com/html/leada100798.html], retrieved [[July 19th]][[2007]]</ref>
 Finn represented the idea that BoyChat and other pedophile resources were not breeding grounds for child pornography to the media on several occasions.