# 47 Year-Old Man Looking At Kiddie Porn On A Flight: A "Cry For Help?" **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 27, 2011, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/47-year-old-man-looking-at-kiddie-porn-on-a-flight-a-cry-for-help/604220 "2011-11-27T05:34:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2011, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/47-year-old-man-looking-at-kiddie-porn-on-a-flight-a-cry-for-help/604220/21 "2011-11-27T21:50:29Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > Right? šŸ˜• > > I canā€™t imagine he was watching little kids being sodomized simply as a way to ā€œpass the timeā€ on a boring flight. Iā€™ll be frank, since you donā€™t get it. What sheā€™s asking is whether people look at porn without masturbating to it. And the answer is yes. You get some thrill out of just looking. Itā€™s the same reason why many guys leer at women. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2011, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/47-year-old-man-looking-at-kiddie-porn-on-a-flight-a-cry-for-help/604220/22 "2011-11-27T21:54:55Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Iā€™ll be frank, since you donā€™t get it. What sheā€™s asking is whether people look at porn without masturbating to it. > > And the answer is yes. You get some thrill out of just looking. Itā€™s the same reason why many guys leer at women. Um, yeah, I get it. šŸ˜› I was agreeing with her. I personally have never watched porn without doing a little ā€œextracurricularā€ activity, so I was a bit puzzled myself. ---
**Author:** ![heathen\_earthling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/13edae/32.png) [@heathen\_earthling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/heathen_earthling)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2011, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/47-year-old-man-looking-at-kiddie-porn-on-a-flight-a-cry-for-help/604220/23 "2011-11-28T04:05:53Z")
Iā€™m puzzled by why airport magazine vendors always have a selection of porn (the legal kind, of course). Donā€™t people basically shop there to get reading material for their flights? ---
**Author:** ![MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MPB_in_Salt_Lake)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2011, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/47-year-old-man-looking-at-kiddie-porn-on-a-flight-a-cry-for-help/604220/24 "2011-11-28T04:40:02Z")
I know that sexual deviancy or perversion crosses all social and intellectual lines, but the local news is now reporting that this guy is actually a fully tenured Professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Utah, (probably the most respected university in the entire Intermountain West area) so at least academically, he must be a fairly intelligent person. The latest story is now a bit vague however, and if I understand it correctly, someone on the plane knew this guy socially, then somehow saw the kiddie porn on his laptop and so called _one of his relatives, who lives in Arizona_ and the AZ relative was the one who called the Boston copsā€¦šŸ˜• I was on the phone when the news report was playing and didnā€™t hear everything clearly. This account is a little different from what was reported last night. The whole sordid thing is turning into somewhat of a big story here in straightlaced Salt Lake City, with him being revealed to be a Prof. at the ā€œUā€ and all. If he was a blue-collar welder or something I donā€™t think there would be nearly as much coverage. If true, truly bizarreā€¦ The one thing that seems to be certain is that there was indeed some child porn discovered, as he is being held in Boston and not allowed bail until a hearing sometime tomorrow. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2011, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/47-year-old-man-looking-at-kiddie-porn-on-a-flight-a-cry-for-help/604220/25 "2011-11-28T05:00:12Z")
[Iā€™ll provide a linky, since nobody else bothered.](http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2011/11/first_class_passenger_from_uta.html) What kind of college professor can afford to fly first class? ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2011, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/47-year-old-man-looking-at-kiddie-porn-on-a-flight-a-cry-for-help/604220/26 "2011-11-28T05:07:12Z")
> [@heathen\_earthling](#): > > Iā€™m puzzled by why airport magazine vendors always have a selection of porn (the legal kind, of course). Donā€™t people basically shop there to get reading material for their flights? Because there will be a very lonely (and private) hotel room at the other end of the flight a fair percentage of the time. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2011, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/47-year-old-man-looking-at-kiddie-porn-on-a-flight-a-cry-for-help/604220/27 "2011-11-28T05:08:50Z")
Although, I never did kiddie porn cases, when I prosecuted cases thank god, I did have some very disturbing images in my laptop. And I usually do work on the laptop when I am in a flight. my god, I could have gotten into a serious scrap. ---
**Author:** ![willthekittensurvive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/91b2a8/32.png) [@willthekittensurvive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/willthekittensurvive)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2011, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/47-year-old-man-looking-at-kiddie-porn-on-a-flight-a-cry-for-help/604220/28 "2011-11-28T15:26:32Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > Although, I never did kiddie porn cases, when I prosecuted cases thank god, I did have some very disturbing images in my laptop. And I usually do work on the laptop when I am in a flight. my god, I could have gotten into a serious scrap. AK84, I thought you had Pakistani roots, making you allready guilty of flying while looking Middle Eastern ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2011, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/47-year-old-man-looking-at-kiddie-porn-on-a-flight-a-cry-for-help/604220/29 "2011-11-28T15:30:47Z")
Itā€™s perhaps possible that he had bathtub photos of his kids among a family album. That seems unlikely, but any explanation here seems unlikely. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2011, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/47-year-old-man-looking-at-kiddie-porn-on-a-flight-a-cry-for-help/604220/30 "2011-11-28T15:46:57Z")
> [@Pyper](#): > > Doing something so stupid seems to be like a symptom of addictive behavior. He probably knew objectively that looking at child porn in a public place is an extreme risk, but he couldnā€™t resist the addictive pull. Thatā€™s what I think, heā€™s an addict and simply couldnā€™t wait until he got home. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2011, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/47-year-old-man-looking-at-kiddie-porn-on-a-flight-a-cry-for-help/604220/31 "2011-11-28T16:30:11Z")
Well, garden-variety porn you might get away with, people would think you are an asshole and a jerk of course, and you might be asked to put the porn away, but kiddie porn is in another class entirely. Maybe he had been looking at kiddie porn for so long that his sense of danger about it had eroded, like someone who uses guns/explosives all his life and finally gets so used to them that he shoots himself/blows himself up doing something anyone else would consider dangerous. ---
**Author:** ![constanze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f9ae1b/32.png) [@constanze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/constanze)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2011, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/47-year-old-man-looking-at-kiddie-porn-on-a-flight-a-cry-for-help/604220/32 "2011-11-28T17:50:46Z")
Um, was it ā€œrealā€ kiddie porn or what gets called ā€œpornā€ in some parts of the US? Because some years back, a case in the US made headlines where a guy selling comics (to adults!) was arrested for selling porn. In another case a guy drawing pictures was charged with kiddie porn. So I can see somebody whoā€™s from a different culture - or an artist/ works with artists - looking at pictures, and some guy next to him without context flipping out and calling it kiddie porn / itā€™s kiddie porn under US laws, but not because children were harmed. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2011, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/47-year-old-man-looking-at-kiddie-porn-on-a-flight-a-cry-for-help/604220/33 "2011-11-28T18:34:36Z")
I agree-this professor has a few screws loose. My question: could you be charged with owning child porn, if you were looking at a collection of Abercrombie and Fitch advertisements? Are these ads legal? ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2011, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/47-year-old-man-looking-at-kiddie-porn-on-a-flight-a-cry-for-help/604220/34 "2011-11-28T18:42:00Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > I agree-this professor has a few screws loose. > My question: could you be charged with owning child porn, if you were looking at a collection of Abercrombie and Fitch advertisements? Are these ads legal? seriously? ---
**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2011, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/47-year-old-man-looking-at-kiddie-porn-on-a-flight-a-cry-for-help/604220/35 "2011-11-28T19:35:55Z")
> [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](#): > > Clearly not, as they have no problem letting me up thereā€¦ Ok. I let the sneak brag in the OP slide, but now I have to call you on it. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2011, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/47-year-old-man-looking-at-kiddie-porn-on-a-flight-a-cry-for-help/604220/36 "2011-11-28T21:15:49Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > What kind of college professor can afford to fly first class? The kind who gives papers at a lot of conferences, traveling to them on university or grant money, picking up a lot of airline miles along the way, which he can then use to upgrade to first class. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2011, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/47-year-old-man-looking-at-kiddie-porn-on-a-flight-a-cry-for-help/604220/37 "2011-11-28T21:17:32Z")
> [@brazil84](#): > > Yes, I wasnā€™t aware if that was done. Then you didnā€™t read as far as the third line of the OP? Sheesh. ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2011, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/47-year-old-man-looking-at-kiddie-porn-on-a-flight-a-cry-for-help/604220/38 "2011-11-28T21:33:00Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > [Iā€™ll provide a linky, since nobody else bothered.](http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2011/11/first_class_passenger_from_uta.html) > > What kind of college professor can afford to fly first class? :: raises hand :: Well, actually, I canā€™t _afford_ to fly first class, but Delta keeps upgrading me for free. When you live in a tiny little college town serviced by only one airline, you rack up some pretty sweet frequent-flyer perks. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2011, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/47-year-old-man-looking-at-kiddie-porn-on-a-flight-a-cry-for-help/604220/39 "2011-11-29T01:23:05Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > Itā€™s perhaps possible that he had bathtub photos of his kids among a family album. That seems unlikely, but any explanation here seems unlikely. From the [Salt Lake Tribune](http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/53002672-78/smith-child-university-according.html.csp) > [@](#): > > Troopers recovered from the computer a number of **still images depicting young girls, some naked and some engaged in explicit sexual activity with adult males** , Conley said in the news release. Based on captions embedded in the images and troopersā€™ estimates, **the children depicted were between the ages of 5 and 14 years old**. > > ā€œThese werenā€™t photos of a child in the bath that a parent might keep,ā€ Conley said. ā€œThese were explicitly sexual and extremely disturbing.ā€ My bolding. No, it looks like hard core porn. In the article, it also quotes the University of Utah spokesman who stated their policy of not reimbursing first class flights. Iā€™d go with free upgrades, which happens fairly often if you are a frequent flier with lots of mileage. From the same article > [@](#): > > Coincidentally, a Utah judge on Friday signed Smithā€™s divorce decree against his wife. Smith filed for divorce in September, citing irreconcilable differences. The Smiths have two children, ages 8 and 11, according to court documents. So heā€™s looking at porn of girls the same age as his kids. Double yuck. ---
**Author:** ![MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MPB_in_Salt_Lake)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2011, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/47-year-old-man-looking-at-kiddie-porn-on-a-flight-a-cry-for-help/604220/40 "2011-11-29T01:31:38Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > seriously? Just earlier today, in this very forum, ralph124c told the SDMB that he was admitted into Harvard Business School, but then decided it wasnā€™t for himā€¦ Seriously. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/47-year-old-man-looking-at-kiddie-porn-on-a-flight-a-cry-for-help/604220.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/47-year-old-man-looking-at-kiddie-porn-on-a-flight-a-cry-for-help/604220.md?page=3)