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Why is watching/downloading child porn illegal?

Inspired by Doug Stanhope's rant:



We're allowed to watch robberies taking place, GBH (on Crimewatch, World's Wildest Police Videos etc.) and even acts of mass murder such as the planes flying into the twin towers which everyone has seen so why is it illegal to watch a child being raped? On the internet you can even see people being tortured and killed or beheaded which is worse than rape but for some reason the former isn't illegal but the latter will get you thrown in jail? Seems to be an amazing case of double standards here which everyone seems to accept because THEY IZ PAEDOS!!!!1111 without really thinking about it.

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Reply 1
Avatar for T-Star*
T-Star*
11
Because it supports the 'industry'. If people are allowed to produce it, then they will begin to sell it, which creates a market in child porn as it becomes a commodity. This should be discouraged.
Reply 2
Avatar for moregano
moregano
18
Because you're supporting its production. If there was nobody to watch child porn, their would be no reason to produce it.
T-Star*
Because it supports the 'industry'. If people are allowed to produce it, then they will begin to sell it, which creates a market in child porn as it becomes a commodity. This should be discouraged.

If they pay for it yes. But I'm assuming these people don't buy child porn but simply go on websites containing child porn or download child porn videos from filesharing websites. I strongly doubt the paedophiles who are raping children and filming it make any money from it in the same way I doubt a man who rapes a woman and sticks the video online makes any money from it.
moregano
Because you're supporting its production. If there was nobody to watch child porn, their would be no reason to produce it.

See my above post. If paedos want to rape children they're going to do it anyway. They don't video it because they're making a sack of cash from it, they video it because they derive pleasure from raping someone and watching the video of it afterwards. According to police, it's published online as a "trophy" so it wouldn't actually reduce the rate of child rape at all.
Brutal Honesty
See my above post. If paedos want to rape children they're going to do it anyway. They don't video it because they're making a sack of cash from it, they video it because they derive pleasure from raping someone and watching the video of it afterwards. According to police, it's published online as a "trophy" so it wouldn't actually reduce the rate of child rape at all.


I can't see any positives of legalising child porn, but I can see many negatives. That's why.
this thread can be summed up with one smiley :facepalm:
Reply 7
Avatar for moregano
moregano
18
Brutal Honesty
See my above post. If paedos want to rape children they're going to do it anyway. They don't video it because they're making a sack of cash from it, they video it because they derive pleasure from raping someone and watching the video of it afterwards. According to police, it's published online as a "trophy" so it wouldn't actually reduce the rate of child rape at all.

Child porn is also produced with the sole intent of distributing it as pornographic material. There are plenty of famous cases of people working with children who exploited them for photographs etc.

Besides, if watching and downloading child porn was legal, there would presumably be a larger demand, which would result in a larger supply and a larger number of children being abused.
moregano
Child porn is also produced with the sole intent of distributing it as pornographic material. There are plenty of famous cases of people working with children who exploited them for photographs etc.

Besides, if watching and downloading child porn was legal, there would presumably be a larger demand, which would result in a larger supply and a larger number of children being abused.




I can only see good coming from this.
moregano
Child porn is also produced with the sole intent of distributing it as pornographic material. There are plenty of famous cases of people working with children who exploited them for photographs etc.

Besides, if watching and downloading child porn was legal, there would presumably be a larger demand, which would result in a larger supply and a larger number of children being abused.

This only really works if someone is profiting from it financially which isn't the case. Also, if you're right it would simply mean it's more likely to be video'd and recorded rather than more children being raped which mean it'd increase probability of someone being caught and make convictions easier to achieve as there's more evidence. Child porn is studied by the police to help figure out who is the perpetrator and is often key in convicting someone.
amiejade-x
this thread can be summed up with one smiley :facepalm:


That was my natural reaction. But natural reactions aren't necessarily enough; it's a fair question; we can see very graphic things-the Hostel films spring to mind as gratituous gore, sexe and violence.

Of course it should be, but it's our duty to reason why. I believe it's because it suggests something about the persona of the character viewing it; any character who wishes to download child pornography is someone who is sufficiently abnormal that it can't be ruled out that they won't go the step further and attempt to commit sex acts on an underage child. By ensuring that watching/downloading child porn is illegal, it ensures that potential dangers to society can be identified and avoided. Usually I avoid "slippery slope" arguments, but, in this case, it's appropriate.

However, it's a reasonable question. Some may argue that if you want to watch something; all you're partaking in is a passive act (you're not actually raping anyone); but, by the same reasoning, one couldargue for legalising the viewing and downloading of material that may assist terrorists. That, to me, is another reason why.
Brutal Honesty
This only really works if someone is profiting from it financially which isn't the case. Also, if you're right it would simply mean it's more likely to be video'd and recorded rather than more children being raped which mean it'd increase probability of someone being caught and make convictions easier to achieve as there's more evidence. Child porn is studied by the police to help figure out who is the perpetrator and is often key in convicting someone.



Someone is always profiting, adds and that...
The OP has a valid point, there are numerous websites which cater to people interested in watching graphic violent injuries, actual rapes of adults, and deaths. How is observing someone being stabbed to death with a screwdriver after being beaten with a hammer less worse than watching child porn? In both instances one is extorting enjoyment from watching a crime take place. You're prosecuted for the latter but nothing happens for former. It's double standards.
Charliee :)
Someone is always profiting, adds and that...

You mean from advertising? Surely it'd be suicidal for someone who runs a child porn site to have a bank account connected to it. I'd have thought it would have been done by filesharing or uploading video files onto host sites. Wouldn't it result in more convictions?
As far as I know, murdering people for YouTube hits isn't an industry. People do get killed and videos do end up online but the point of killing them is rarely to get the videos up. Of course, there are things like "happy slapping" and the actual act of assault is illegal, much like abusing a child.

The difference is that children are highly vulnerable and the whole point of child porn is to have the videos viewed, downloaded and purchased. The very act of watching supports the industry and directly contributes to more child abuse, even if you don't buy it.

It may not seem "fair" to penalise everyone who uploads something dubious (I know some artists have had their work described as abuse despite there being no evidence of actual harm) and I know it may not seem fair to penalise people who watch child/pre-18 porn if they're not paying for it, but it's a way of managing the industry and making damn sure that very little slips through via a loophole.
fire2burn
The OP has a valid point, there are numerous websites which cater to people interested in watching graphic violent injuries, actual rapes of adults, and deaths. How is observing someone being stabbed to death with a screwdriver after being beaten with a hammer less worse than watching child porn? In both instances one is extorting enjoyment from watching a crime take place. You're prosecuted for the latter but nothing happens for former. It's double standards.


Violent porn, snuff videos and the like are illegal.
Because it's both disgusting and immoral.

But I can foresee a time when paedophilia is just as normal as homosexuality. It was seen as "disgusting" and "immoral" (and still is by some) We were much less accepting of homosexuality 50+ years ago, and over the last 50 years we have gradually become more accepting of it. I predict that one day, unfortunately, the same will be said of paedophilia.
Reply 17
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BWalker
Why should it not be illegal? theres no plus sides really, it will just show that people support it and then it would happen more
Reply 18
Avatar for Reue
Reue
20
I do actually agree with this thread. Efforts should be redirected to stopping those actually commiting the abuse then the threatless others who just watch it.

There have been many cases where the judge has freely admitted that he believed the defendant in a child porn case was of no threat to anyone and would never have commited any child abuse however their act of simply viewing it was the crime. If all that police and court time were spent elsewhere identifying and catching those doing the abuse i cant help but think it would be better spent.

And recently its now become illegal to view drawings of child porn. I mean seriously? It's now illegal to view a cartoon of what could be considered a minor having sex? What a total utter waste of police time/effort for something which harms noone.
Reply 19
Avatar for Reue
Reue
20
Schmokie Dragon
Violent porn, snuff videos and the like are illegal.


Why?

If it involves consenting adults... why should it be illegal to make or distribute?

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