When virtuous paedophiles meet online: A sociological study of a paedophile community

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

On the online forum Virtuous Paedophiles, experiences of being sexually attracted to children are discussed based on the belief that ‘adult-child sex’ is wrong. Having explored the forum’s culture of support, advice, and negotiations, we find that the stigmatised paedophile character limits both the understanding of being a paedophile and the ability to remain virtuous. Additionally, ideas about the paedophile character allow the formation of a counter discourse: the virtuous paedophile character. We argue that the justifications used in the forum differ from those in pro-contact communities and that the forum can help paedophiles be offense-free.
Original languageEnglish
JournalSexualities
Volume25
Issue number5-6
Pages (from-to)598-614
ISSN1363-4607
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2022

ID: 255356172