Author John Grisham Says Child Porn Viewing Does Not Make A Pedophile.

[China]

John Grisham is a lawyer and best-selling legal thriller author. He knows the law. He knows the power of words.

[....]

Grisham said judges have "gone crazy" over the past 30 years, locking up far too many people, from white collar criminals like Martha Stewart, to black teenagers on minor drug charges, and those who had viewed child porn online.

"We have prisons now filled with guys my age. Sixty-year-old white men in prison who've never harmed anybody, would never touch a child," he said in interview to promote his new novel, "Gray Mountain."

"But they got online one night and started surfing around, probably had too much to drink or whatever, and pushed the wrong buttons, went too far and got into child porn."

Grisham adds, "These are people who haven't hurt anybody. They deserve some type of punishment, whatever, but 10 years in prison?"

[...]

a friend from law school who was caught in a "sting" operation and served time in prison for downloading child pornography.

"His drinking was out of control, and he went to a website. It was labeled '16-year-old wannabe hookers' or something like that'. ... So he went there. Downloaded some stuff — it was 16-year-old girls who looked 30. He shouldn't have done it. It was stupid, but it wasn't 10-year-old boys. He didn't touch anything. And, God, a week later there was a knock on the door: 'FBI!' and it was sting set up by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to catch people — sex offenders — and he went to prison for three years."

[....]

http://www.freep.com/story/entertai...16/john-grisham-child-porn-comments/17352503/

 

[Whisper]

so says the probrable diddler

 

[China]

He has apologized for his comments but I think he's wrong and I will never read another book of his again.

 

[Whisper]

He has apologized for his comments but I think he's wrong and I will never read another book of his again.

me either
if you can look at that shit and be comfy in your own skin then theres something fucking wrong with you

 

[TKaz]

went too far and got into child porn

Got into????

Here's the thing, maybe I agree with too many arrests for petty drugs or white collar crime...but child porn is a taboo subject you just don't want your name affiliated with...ever.

If you view it - you're victimizing.
If you download it - you're victimizing.
If you make it - you're victimizing.

If you don't view, download, or make...maybe LESS would exist today.

 

[China]

I'm really upset at his statements, kids are trafficked every fucking day and raped in order to make child porn for these animals and he thinks looking is a victim-less crime??

 

[Athena]

He's absolutely right. It's too bad people get all whipped up about it.

Lock up the manufacturers. The possessors should be handled with fines and community service. If you equate looking at an image to the assault pictured in the image, we'd all belong in prison.

 

[China]

If you equate looking at an image to the assault pictured in the image, we'd all belong in prison.

what do mean by this ^^?

 

[Melicious]

He's absolutely right. It's too bad people get all whipped up about it.

Lock up the manufacturers. The possessors should be handled with fines and community service. If you equate looking at an image to the assault pictured in the image, we'd all belong in prison.

I disagree. Yes lock up the manufacturers. But the Manufacturers wouldn't be there if the possessors didn't seek it out. It's supply and demand. And I'm sorry, but supporting a VILE industry by seeking out and possessing child porn is NOT on the same level of punishment as a traffic violation. Not even close.

 

[brandi]

If you are seeking it, it means you are having those thoughts. Seeing a child being molested gets you off. How long before you're brave enough to do it yourself? That's definitely a pedophile to me. You dont just run across child porn on the interwebs. You search child porn for a reason. So if molesting a child is pedophilia, what is a person that looks at a child being molested and exploited? A stand up citizen? No fucking way...

 

[gatekeeper]

As always, JMO/E, but unless he's a NAMBLA fan who'd be all for it, I know about 500 kiddie diddlers who cut their their teeth on child porn who'd just loooove to apply for a job babysitting his grandkids...

 

[China]

I downloaded a movie once, what I thought was a Disney Movie and it wasn't. When I started watching it they were Asian and did not look like over 18 year olds. I erased it, cleaned my computer out 3x and spent a month thinking the cops were gonna show up at my door.

That was a mistake, looking for it is not a mistake.

 

[brandi]

I downloaded a movie once, what I thought was a Disney Movie and it wasn't. When I started watching it they were Asian and did not look like over 18 year olds. I erased it, cleaned my computer out 3x and spent a month thinking the cops were gonna show up at my door.

That was a mistake, looking for it is not a mistake.

I could see you accidentally running across it andThat's not a crime. Im sure that's 1 in a million Though. That's the internet bullshit at it's best. But to actually search, find, look at over and over, that's a fucking crime.

 

[AZmomof3]

Um wow. So if his kid was victimized, he'd want THAT punishment for the people downloading and viewing and sharing it?

How about same people volunteering to babysit for him?

Nope. Not me. I disagree wholeheartedly with him.

 

[Melicious]

Mistakes are one thing. But seeing the title "16 year old Wannabe Hooker" you don't click. Simple enough. Drunk or not, whether they look 30 or not. And if they looked 30, why didn't you just sail on over to a regular porn site?

NO excuse.

 

[ScarlettHarlot]

I'm not trying to challenge Athena of all people, especially when I usually agree with her and enjoy the fact her thoughts are well supported by logic and facts, and not just going along with majority opinion. But on this one Athena, I disagree.

I understand the point you made on the same subject that perhaps the 'people' who only view these images might be satisfied with that, and therefore not target children in real life - but we have no data to back up that hypothesis. It would need real research, which would be difficult to do, ethically difficult, and unpopular. Perhaps some research using images that don't feature real people and real victims - such as animation or drawings. I agree that people shouldn't be prosecuted for images that are not real. Personally, I don't think just seeing images would be enough for most paedophiles, and that feeding the 'habit' would only lead to them seeking more and more. That's the way humans usually work; but I'm prepared to change that view in the face of real evidence to the contrary.

But as people have already said in this thread, you don't just stumble across multiple images of child porn. If police find more than one accidentally downloaded but quickly deleted file, then that person has sought out multiple images of real victims. Even if we go with the idea that that is "all" they've done, and they've never physically touched a child inappropriately, the victims on those images are being re-victimised each time that image is viewed. That's an image of a real child, suffering real abuse, and being handed around for sick pervs to get their rocks off to. How the victim feels about the images of them being passed around has to be taken into account. Society cannot condone that, and say that the images themselves are legal.

One last point is that we all know most of these child porn sharing rings require members to upload images they've produced themselves to get membership, or to move higher in status and access other images. That's incentivising those people who "just want to look" to take further steps, and possibly become abusers themselves.

I wasn't a big fan of John Grisham personally - so it's not loss to me not to read his books, but I am surprised someone with his education and intelligence doesn't see the harm. I think his experience with his friend from law school is clouding his judgement.

 

[brandi]

He has issued an apology and backtracked terribly but no one is buying it.. go figure...

“Anyone who harms a child for profit or pleasure, or who in any way participates in child pornography — online or otherwise — should be punished to the fullest extent of the law,” the author said in a statement. “My comments made two days ago during an interview with the British newspaper The Telegraph were in no way intended to show sympathy for those convicted of sex crimes, especially the sexual molestation of children. I can think of nothing more despicable. I regret having made these comments, and apologize to all.”

That may not be enough for some of his former followers.

“You clearly said in the interview that people (like your drunk friend) who look at child porn don’t deserve severe punishment,” Facebook user Raylene Jolly Wheeler posted in response to Grisham. “Not sure how you can backtrack that statement.”

http://cw39.com/2014/10/16/author-john-grisham-uses-poor-words-talking-about-child-porn/

 

[gatekeeper]

I'd *love* to see more legislation, more task-force time, and more gov. dollars spent on tracking the deep pockets producers, but with so many of them being global &/or anonymous all over the Dark Web, hiding behind who knows how many proxies, unless other countries get on board and take busting the Big Fish seriously, too, we're largely restricted to the computer/LE savvy, covert, fly-by-night child porn producers we have in the here U.S..

I agree it would definitely be a boon/ helpful thing, IMO, but it'll never stop supply and demand, esp. on the black market/Dark Web. I just can't agree that catching the Big Fish at the expense of all the children who're being damaged by the Little Fish who, in many cases, not only enjoy watching these innocents be injured and destroyed themselves, they also love it so much they either share it with others (becoming distributors), or become producers/distributors themselves.

Of course, there are no absolutes, to be sure, but in the case of destroying a child's innocence, often leaving them with miserable, serious, emotional, identity, self-worth and trust /issues probs. (and sometimes physical scars for life), I just can't see the small potatoes child porn hounds getting off on lesser sentences. I've known guys (one woman who pimped out her kids & sold the pics/vids), who've done their time, been to yrs. of weekly SOTP classes, and have had 1:1 psych treatment on the taxpayer dollar for yrs., get out and not six months later, come right back through the revolving jail/prison door w/more child sex abuse charges.

I don't know the "right" answer to stomp out this sick, redundant epidemic any more than anyone else does. But, my intution/gut says it's a bad idea to lower the bar on this particular issue. Way, way too much room for error, and each error is the very real life/abuse of a real child.

 

[Momzilla]

I have never revealed this online before, but I think that it might help me to make my point clear on this topic. As a young child, I was molested by my nextdoor neighbor (the father of my playmate). I was only 4 or 5yrs old & have limited but very specific memories of the events- in fact, the majority of my memories from that age are of the abuse. The most random things can trigger my memories- (I hate going in my attic bc the smell is a trigger, idk why? A plastic cooking pot in my kids playset, I had to secretly throw it away) Mostly I just see images, like a slideshow, when I remember.

However, there is 1 incident where I was photographed & that memory, although less physical than the others, bothers me the most. Because with that memory, besides the slideshow, I remember how I felt at that moment-- the embarrassment, shame, guilt, fear, wishing I wasn't there -- even now, 25+ yrs later I still cringe & get chills, it can give me an actual panic attack & that is just from the memory.

I can't even imagine finding out that those pictures still existed & were being viewed by people online-- It would be unbearable! So when I hear someone claim that those who view child porn are not hurting the victims- They are wrong! Every time that image is viewed, it is victimizing the child again. I don't care how great a guy that person is during the day, if they spend their nights viewing child porn-- they are guilty of hurting a child & need to be held accountable, period!

 

[gatekeeper]

@Momzilla , "olfactory memory," is the number one most common memory of all five of our survival senses. They've done lots of studies on cognitive memory .vs- sensory-input memory, and our sense of "smell" is the overwhelming winner. I have issues w/certain smells from childhood associations I just can't deal with, either. Our memory recall may get a little fuzzy throughout the lifespan, but our nose never forgets.

 

[Momzilla]

Our memory recall may get a little fuzzy throughout the lifespan, but our nose never forgets.

That's interesting- I know there are plenty of smells that bring to mind happy experiences, like Xmas trees, turkey roasting- they're easy to understand & pinpoint why they make you feel that way. However, the attic smell, I know it's associated with 'him' but not specifically what or where the smell occurred- I guess my nose knows-- but it's not talking!!

 

[ChaosKitty]

John Grisham is a close friend (or at least he used to be back in the 90's when The Firm first hit, I don't know if they still are or not) of my ex-fiancee's brother. I'd heard a lot of good things about him. I really, really liked him because he came across as that sweet, loveable, intelligent "Southern Gentleman" that I'd always been attracted to and A Time To Kill is one of my all time favorite books. (Did you all know that it was his first book, but it didn't grow in popularity until after The Firm was released?) I am disheartened by his comments, but I can also see how he might have been bumbling while attempting to explain during an interview. Not that I'm cutting him any slack, he's much, much smarter than this, he just plain fucking knows better dammit! To me it comes across as more of a "Dan Quayle" moment, a brilliant man that is somehow unable to convey his meaning when speaking kind of thing. I hope that was all it was. If not, then this is a RED flag for me and that kind of hurts my heart...

he's already retracted whatever he said which I didn't read the original but sounded like people drunk fall into sites unintentionally which is a very broad way could be true in as far as accidentally click into a site but you click back out oO

 

[ChaosKitty]

so says the probrable diddler

or the lawyer

 

[ChaosKitty]

I could see you accidentally running across it andThat's not a crime. Im sure that's 1 in a million Though. That's the internet bullshit at it's best. But to actually search, find, look at over and over, that's a fucking crime.

never run across kiddie porn but have clicked some links that have put me in some horrendous sites

 

[ChaosKitty]

I downloaded a movie once, what I thought was a Disney Movie and it wasn't. When I started watching it they were Asian and did not look like over 18 year olds. I erased it, cleaned my computer out 3x and spent a month thinking the cops were gonna show up at my door.

That was a mistake, looking for it is not a mistake.

ga, why does it sound like we can do some of the same damn stupid stuff??????

 

[Melicious]

@Momzilla , I too was molested around the same age as you. And it's the same for me, VIVID pictures that are almost like a slideshow. GGranted, I was 5 years old and my attacker was only 10, but it still was horrible nonetheless. I had actually repressed the memories of it until my attacker committed suicide in college. It ALL CAME BACK, clear as day. That was the trigger.

My Mom had always told me that molestation was suspected because after the event I became severely withdrawn and depressed so she sent me to counseling. The counselor said that I had definitely been molested but that I wouldn't tell her who had done it. It was a close family friend. When my Mom originally told me, I thought she was insane! I would have remembered. Nope, not until the trigger.

Anyway, having the slideshow is bad enough. Knowing that there are pictures, TERRIFYING! It's a physical object of the violation that you can't get rid of. Thankfully that didn't happen with my incident. I can't imagine the level of knowing that could be out there. And even higher of a level, coming across it someday would surely DESTROY someone.

Viewing these images IS a serious crime. No matter HOW you cut it.

I'm so sorry Momzilla <3

 

[ChaosKitty]

He has issued an apology and backtracked terribly but no one is buying it.. go figure...



http://cw39.com/2014/10/16/author-john-grisham-uses-poor-words-talking-about-child-porn/

ah ha, I was right, he was defending someone he knows, still not right

 

[Rockin Ma]

Unfortunately I don't think the war on child porn will ever be won. There's just too many ways to share now.

The teenager who created a website to distribute the 98,000 hacked Snapchat pictures and videos shut it down after Mashable reported on it on Wednesday. But some curious Redditors looking for the hacked Snapchats, which likely include naked pictures of underage kids, were not very happy about it.

The hack has been dubbed The Snappening in reference to a previous infamous hack of several celebrities' naked pictures, which users on the online community 4chan dubbed The Fappening from "to fap," Internet speak for masturbating.

Within the thread, another one asked for "any good links" to the collection of hacked Snapchat photos and videos. Such a request is more common on The Snappening subreddit, where other, creepier requests can be found, too.

"A girl from my class has 35 pictures in the leak. Her username was in 35 of the few identified snaps. Dont want to download the 13 GB which may contain CP, but am wondering if anyone that has dowloaded it, can check up her pics for me?" asked a Redditor named sameterror.

http://mashable.com/2014/10/15/redditors-complain-snappening-down/

 

[myra manes]

so says the probrable diddler

BINGO!!

A person doesn't just, push a few wrong buttons to, find child porn!
Quite possibly, we'll be reading about him in the, not too distant, future ..

 

[myra manes]

I'm really upset at his statements, kids are trafficked every fucking day and raped in order to make child porn for these animals and he thinks looking is a victim-less crime??

He's a fucking moron, quite possibly a pedophile ..