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Abstract In the shadow world of child abuse, the Internet is a Stroke of luck. The sinister threat of an increasingly sophisticated and devious internet trade with dues-paying organizations promoting and condoning pedophilia over the Internet and the trading of meticulous records of their collections and victims are on the rise. By use of the computer, these groups can quickly organize material, communicate with others who share like interests and troll the net for potential victims, seek validation through communication with like minded abusers, and find comfort in the secret corridors of cyber-space. Child molesters can remain in teen and pre-teen chat rooms indefinitely without arousing suspicion. Up loading, exchanging, and often selling of detailed logs of their experiences and sexual conquests. Through these electronic arenas, pedophiles has unlimited and unrestricted access to vulnerable children. Chat rooms makes it much easier and less risky to interact with children. Governments and law officials recognize the internet could lead to a substantial rise in child abuse. Delivering material into the home, putting ideas into people's heads, from fantasizing about abusing adolescents to actual live baby abuse and bondage. The fact that what people are watching an abuse actually taking place can make them think about doing it themselves Today, any man, woman or child with a modem can use the most effective tool for the distribution of pornography the world has ever seen. In recent years, the creation of these groups and the flood of pornography over the Web have terrified and enraged Americans some times to the point of vigilante justice. DARK SIDE OF THE WEB (CHILD ABUSE AND THE INTERNET) Children are innocent and vulnerable. They are interested in obtaining knowledge. And the Internet provides a doorway to the information highway. Anything they want to know is at their fingertips. Unfortunately, the computer is a double-edged sword. Even things they do not want to know nor need to know is out there also. There are people in the world of pedophiles, sex rings organizations and secret societies that prey on these innocent naive children for their perverted personal gratification. The judicial system is doing what it can, joining with other law enforcement and educating people to protect children. Parents are outraged and want to protect, not only their children, but all children from this exposure on the Internet. In the world of the Internet, sex rings and secret societies have members enmeshed for the primary purpose of voyeurism, sexual abuse, and sexual exploitation of children all over the world. By use of the computer, degenerates can quickly organize material, communicate with others of similar interests, and surf the net for potential victims. Child abusers, seeking justification through communicating with like minded others, find comfort in the shadowy corridors of cyber space. Pedophiles are just a few clicks away from each other. (Malkin, pg5) Before computers, pedophiles relied on newspaper ads, sex clubs, and prison contacts for interaction with others like themselves. They had to cruise the streets or visit parks and playgrounds where children play in order to locate victims. Undoubtedly, some of them still do this. But others can now hide behind the shadowy comfort of the Internet shield. The Seattle Times reported that by 1998, more than 1,500 suspected pedophiles in 32 states have been identified through various chat rooms on one of America’s most popular Internet service (Malkin, pg 4,5). The easy access to pornography has many parents frightened and concerned. The language utilized tends to justify their interests. They attempt to legitimatize their behavior by claiming that sex between adults and the young is “pure,” “kind,” “gentle” and develop other descriptive labels that give the impression they are referring to some saintly endeavor other than the sexual exploitation and abuse of children (Carson, Butcher, and Mineka pg 217). This is a common trait among the preferential child molesters: they spend their lives attempting to justify their behavior in their own eyes. Since their attraction to children is a compulsion that many cannot avoid or deny, they seek methods to reinforce their belief that they are doing nothing wrong (Vito, and Holmes pg 286). There is a fairly recent development, especially on the Internet, where groups of pedophiles view themselves as being persecuted by the rest of society. Such as used in a Pederasty site; “to end the oppression of men and boys”.(Malkin, pg 6) It is as if they are talking about a political party rather than the sexual seduction of children. The Internet also provides child molesters who prefer children of a certain age or sex with unique opportunities. For example, they cannot hang around school property very long without arousing suspicion, but they can remain in teen and pre-teen chat rooms indefinitely while posing as teens themselves. Through these electronic arenas, the pedophiles have something that before the Internet Age they could only dream about: unlimited and unrestricted access to vulnerable children. Chat rooms makes it much easier and less risky for predators to interact with children. The brazen attitude of these groups is shocking to most people.
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