Really? You don't think there's evil in the world? I would agree that there is no one who is inherently evil, demonic, or anything supernatural, but I do believe in good and evil in the world. And I'd say a pedophile is the closest you can come to evil.

I fail to see how the fact that people have been sleeping with children since the beginning of time makes it more understandable...People have done lots of things in history that are clearly wrong (Slavery, denying women's suffrage rights, etc), so that's not really a good argument. As for youth being a sign of a good mate...Um, what? No. If it's someone who's sleeping with little girls, they should actually be TOTALLY unattracted to her, because she can't even reproduce (since a pedophile is somewho who sleeps with kids under 14). If it's someone sleeping with a little boy, the attraction would be his ability to provide and all that which he CLEARLY won't be able to do, since your argument was that it's just a biological attraction to youth.

Pedophila is wrong, sick, and disgusting. I don't "commend" the ones who do not act on it (by watching porn that exploits them or if he puts his hands on them himself) I just don't think he should have a gun put to his head like the rest of them. And yes. The rest of them should. And I'd probably do it myself. They may be sick individuals, but I have no sympathy. So WHAT they're attracted to little kids. Great, you're disgusting, whatever. I happen to be attracted to nerdy guys who wear glasses and geek out over everything Apple and MAC related, but that doesn't mean that I have ever raped any of taken any against their will. I can control myself, and they should be able to as well. And if they can't, well, then you should really suffer whatever comes to you. I agree that it's a mental illness, but one that there's no cure for. It can't be curbed by medicine. I think if a pedophile offends, he should be put in jail forever. The rehabilitation rate is so pathetic I don't think we should chance letting them out. Besides, he's taken some little kids youth, self-esteem, confidence, and given them nothing but fear, paranoia, relationship problems, and sleepless nights. I think life in prison is the only reasonable punishment.

I don't think evil something that exists. It's just a human concept to explani actions with which we don't agree with the morality. Paedophilia being as close to "evil" as you could get? I don't think so. I'd say Vlad the Impaler was a bit more "evil" than Joe rapist.

I'm talking generally in terms of pre-civilisation. In that cave men would have sex with 14 year old girls habitually, I just mean to say that without an established moral code it is "natural" behaviour.

As for it being kids "under 14", there are plenty of cases of younger pregnancies, even as young as 8, so you can't say that anyone under 14 is not fertile. And it is biological fact that youth is a sign of fertility, although I guess I don't know how far backwards that explanation actually goes. As for same-gender relationships in general, I don't even know how to explain why those happen, but isn't it generally about power rather than sexuality?

Nobody said to commend those that didn't offend. But let's take a different angle. I have thought of murdering people before, although I have never done it. Taking somebodies life is presumably more "evil" than raping someone, so the fact that I've thought of killing should make me worthier of death than a paedophile who hasn't acted?

But as far as "harming" children would go, obviously watching pornography would be encouraging the field, and would constitute harm. Would watching animated child pornography though? As for it not being curvable with rehabilitation and medicine, yes - on the whole. Although chemical castration seems to work rather well.

Im not denying in anway that someone who rapes/indecently harms a child isn't guilty of a crime.

So tell me ChelseaRenee why do you think all pedophiles are evil? The majority of pedophiles will suppress their urges and channel them into fantasies and masturbation not involving a child. Only a small minority of pedophiles have actually harmed a child. Also most child molesters or rapists are NOT pedophiles, the majority of child molesters do it for power, not because of having an attraction to children. Also most pedophiles are non-exclusive and can control themselves.

You could trust someone like this with your child? Youd be happy for them to kiss, hug and cuddle them? I wouldnt. I wouldnt be comfortable with anyone except family members and extremely close friends to even touch my childs arm for example. How would you know that they wouldnt infact act upon this and take things further....

Ergh, this thread has made me shiver.

A child is a truely vunerable individual and the thought of letting a pedophile - be it a non-sexual one or not, into my childs life would subsequently make me a terrible parent.

I might be completely wrong here- but are there any women pedophiles? Why is it that men harm children sexually and women do not? Apart from the caveman explanation.....

There are female pedophiles, just like there are female serial killers.

The definition of the word "paedophile" is an adult who is sexually attracted to children. ADULT. SEXUALLY ATTRACTED. CHILDREN. Those words should never be in the same sentence. How anyone can suggest that a person who fits this description is not an immediate danger is beyond me. Our children are so precious and should be treated as such.

Pedo means child Phile means lover ergo stating that Pedophile means child-lover it does not mean sexual attraction, it means emotional and romantic attraction to children. People over 16 who are this way are considered pedophiles. Also pedophilia is a sexual orientation, it cannot be controlled.