# How would you react to finding illegal porn on your friend's/family's computer? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 18, 2017, 8:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-react-to-finding-illegal-porn-on-your-friends-familys-computer/786907 "2017-05-18T08:48:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![femmejean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/0ea827/32.png) [@femmejean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/femmejean)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2017, 8:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-react-to-finding-illegal-porn-on-your-friends-familys-computer/786907/1 "2017-05-18T08:48:14Z")
I remember last year in a computer class, a 19yr old guy who was the typical ‘intelligent’ nerd unsporty but came in looking quite upset/angry one week. Apparently two weeks prior, he went on TOR (anonymous browser) voluntarily expecting child porn, but still got so angry when he saw it and then reported it. He claimed it still made him mad after two weeks had passed. I sort of distanced myself from him not because although I do agree that child porn is morally despicable, I think he overreacted seeing as chose to go online and especially that he got so angry. I always assumed hat he was the ‘macho protective’ (women and children) type from a few things he said but that pretty much confirmed it from me. But thinking of a scenario where friend or family member had illegal porn or an actual one that you’ve experienced personally, how would you react? ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2017, 9:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-react-to-finding-illegal-porn-on-your-friends-familys-computer/786907/2 "2017-05-18T09:34:46Z")
Depends on what’s depicted. I’d report images of young kids being sexually abused to the authorities. A nude kid isn’t automatically illegal. I was a part time mod at my employer’s BBS in the eighties. Some photos of nudists were uploaded. I initially intended to delete them. My boss overrode me. There was no sexual contact and the nudity wasn’t overtly sexualized. It was naked folks and their kids walking and playing on the beach. The images were on our BBS for quite awhile. There’s an entire industry that employs 18 year old models that look younger. Chances are good that a model that looks like a high school girl is probably a legal adult. A web site brand on the image is a good indication that it’s a legal model. All the adult web sites have disclaimers stating their models are 18 or older. ---
**Author:** ![femmejean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/0ea827/32.png) [@femmejean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/femmejean)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2017, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-react-to-finding-illegal-porn-on-your-friends-familys-computer/786907/3 "2017-05-18T09:55:33Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Depends on what’s depicted. I’d report images of young kids being sexually abused to the authorities. What would your emotional reaction be? ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2017, 10:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-react-to-finding-illegal-porn-on-your-friends-familys-computer/786907/4 "2017-05-18T10:09:06Z")
Disgust. Extreme disappointment that someone I knew would possess child porn or other illegal images. Perhaps even anger if it was a relative that had disturbing images. Even legal stuff like S&M would be disgusting to find. ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2017, 10:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-react-to-finding-illegal-porn-on-your-friends-familys-computer/786907/5 "2017-05-18T10:27:20Z")
Get a lawyer. Contact law enforcement. Start shopping for a new computer because everybody’s current equipment will be confiscated. There is no other way to handle illegal porn if I find it on a relative’s computer and my only interest would be protecting the family’s children. ---
**Author:** ![Mikeisskeptical](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@Mikeisskeptical](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mikeisskeptical)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2017, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-react-to-finding-illegal-porn-on-your-friends-familys-computer/786907/6 "2017-05-18T12:44:33Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Even legal stuff like S&M would be disgusting to find. Really? I’d feel embarrassed to have accidentally violated that persons privacy, but “disgusted” seems a bit strong. It’d be like walking in on them in the bathroom or something. If you mean genuinely violent stuff, I agree, but not if it’s just _kinky_, it wouldn’t make me think less of the person at all. Maybe “S&M” conjures different images in your mind to mine. To me, it suggests consenting adults, dressing up and role-playing. Nothing particularly sinister. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2017, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-react-to-finding-illegal-porn-on-your-friends-familys-computer/786907/7 "2017-05-18T13:14:03Z")
> [@femmejean](#): > > . . .I think he overreacted seeing as chose to go online and especially that he got so angry. Maybe. I have no knowledge of him, of course, but I can offer a guess of sorts. He might well have imagined that it was no big deal, that he was going to find basically the same thing he sees now legally, perhaps with a touch more realistic aspect…sexually mature performers, in other words. He may have thought, perhaps not in so many words but in expectation, “So now I’ll see a real 17 year old instead of a 19 year old with pigtails.” And then what he actually saw was the ugly fact of prepubescent children being raped. And he realized that it was a big deal, and why. Just a thought. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2017, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-react-to-finding-illegal-porn-on-your-friends-familys-computer/786907/8 "2017-05-18T13:23:27Z")
There are some truly horrid people out there. It may have been his first encounter with actual raw evil. We sometimes joke “Oh, thanks, now I’m stuck with that image for life” but that is a reality. Images can haunt you, especially traumatic ones. My guess is that he was legitimately traumatized by what he saw, and was having to wrestle with his definition of human nature. He probably used anger as a way to make himself feel somewhat in control, as if he could do something about it. Which he likely couldn’t, except to report it and hope law enforcement did their jobs. ---
**Author:** ![femmejean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/0ea827/32.png) [@femmejean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/femmejean)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2017, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-react-to-finding-illegal-porn-on-your-friends-familys-computer/786907/9 "2017-05-18T14:33:24Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > There are some truly horrid people out there. It may have been his first encounter with actual raw evil. > > We sometimes joke “Oh, thanks, now I’m stuck with that image for life” but that is a reality. Images can haunt you, especially traumatic ones. > > My guess is that he was legitimately traumatized by what he saw, and was having to wrestle with his definition of human nature. He probably used anger as a way to make himself feel somewhat in control, as if he could do something about it. Which he likely couldn’t, except to report it and hope law enforcement did their jobs. How can you be traumatized though unless its someone you know? Personally…I don’t get it. If it was your child, a child in your family, or someone in your social circle then I perfectly understand that; the problem is though, it was a random child who he had no connection to. Disgust perhaps but anger and trauma? that’s an overreaction IMO. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2017, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-react-to-finding-illegal-porn-on-your-friends-familys-computer/786907/10 "2017-05-18T14:43:28Z")
No. Seeing a human being tortured would traumatize anyone with a modicum of empathy. A child, doubly so. If you could see a thing like that and not be bothered just because you don’t know the kid? You are probably severely emotionally stunted. I’m betting though, that you’ve just never encountered true horror, and so don’t know what your reaction would be. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2017, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-react-to-finding-illegal-porn-on-your-friends-familys-computer/786907/11 "2017-05-18T14:47:02Z")
> [@femmejean](#): > > How can you be traumatized though unless its someone you know? Personally…I don’t get it. > > If it was your child, a child in your family, or someone in your social circle then I perfectly understand that; the problem is though, it was a random child who he had no connection to. But actually seeing the images can turn it from an abstract “random child” to a real individual who’s really being abused right before your eyes. ---
**Author:** ![Mikeisskeptical](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@Mikeisskeptical](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mikeisskeptical)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2017, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-react-to-finding-illegal-porn-on-your-friends-familys-computer/786907/12 "2017-05-18T15:43:02Z")
> [@femmejean](#): > > How can you be traumatized though unless its someone you know? Personally…I don’t get it. > > If it was your child, a child in your family, or someone in your social circle then I perfectly understand that; the problem is though, it was a random child who he had no connection to. > > Disgust perhaps but anger and trauma? that’s an overreaction IMO. Most people have a strong emotional reaction to seeing unsimulated violence. Without having seen what he saw myself (thankfully), I can’t say for sure whether he is or isn’t overreacting, but it certainly sounds like it was more distressing than he was prepared for. I absolutely think that there are images/videos out there which would be traumatic for any normal person to view. I agree with others who suggest that you are either falling short in imagining just how disturbing this material might be, or you have lower than average empathy. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2017, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-react-to-finding-illegal-porn-on-your-friends-familys-computer/786907/13 "2017-05-18T16:08:54Z")
It would depend on what it was I found and what I know about the person otherwise. Is this someone to whom I feel I can say “Ken, we’ve got to talk”? What reaction would a “dude, I notice your passwords and encryption keys are weak” hint elicit? Does what I found suggest continuing criminal activity, or that he entered the Darkweb sometime once and left, but doesn’t know about wiping the cache? Because in the example case of someone who sought it out of morbid curiosity and now is upset about it, I’d be a lot more tolerant. (And hell yeah even in Clearnet you can encounter some damn traumatic things. Remember the IS beheadings?) ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2017, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-react-to-finding-illegal-porn-on-your-friends-familys-computer/786907/14 "2017-05-18T16:52:25Z")
I would probably watch Law and Order SVU to figure out my next move. ---
**Author:** ![dude\_robert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8e7dd6/32.png) [@dude\_robert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dude_robert)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2017, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-react-to-finding-illegal-porn-on-your-friends-familys-computer/786907/15 "2017-05-18T17:01:45Z")
Isn’t all porn illegal in China, unless everyone’s genitals are censored? So technically, you could be watching normal adult to adult consensual sex but if you live in a certain country/state that bans ALL forms of sexualized nudity, then it’s still illegal. I wonder how most people here would care about that? ---
**Author:** ![femmejean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/0ea827/32.png) [@femmejean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/femmejean)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2017, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-react-to-finding-illegal-porn-on-your-friends-familys-computer/786907/16 "2017-05-18T17:11:49Z")
> [@dude\_robert](#): > > Isn’t all porn illegal in China, unless everyone’s genitals are censored? So technically, you could be watching normal adult to adult consensual sex but if you live in a certain country/state that bans ALL forms of sexualized nudity, then it’s still illegal. I wonder how most people here would care about that? I think for the purposes of this thread, we refer to ‘illegal’ porn in terms of things that are considered highly reprehensible. Child porn, bestiality etc… ---
**Author:** ![femmejean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/0ea827/32.png) [@femmejean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/femmejean)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2017, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-react-to-finding-illegal-porn-on-your-friends-familys-computer/786907/17 "2017-05-18T17:19:50Z")
> [@Mikeisskeptical](#): > > Most people have a strong emotional reaction to seeing unsimulated violence. Without having seen what he saw myself (thankfully), I can’t say for sure whether he is or isn’t overreacting, but it certainly sounds like it was more distressing than he was prepared for. > > I absolutely think that there are images/videos out there which would be traumatic for any normal person to view. I agree with others who suggest that you are either falling short in imagining just how disturbing this material might be, or you have lower than average empathy. Umm…No. Don’t think it has to do with empathy. the disgust is understandable but the anger isn’t. I have a female friend called Caoimhe who experienced the same thing only a few months ago, a relatively liberal, nice, and understanding girl who was egged on by her friends to go on the Deep Web. She wasn’t told that CP would be there. She was browsing for a couple of hours and then clicked on a link with those images. After a minute she closed it. When she told me, she was upset but she didn’t react the same way he did. She never used TOR again and told me it was disgusting, but she didn’t seem angry and even though ‘upset’ she wasn’t showing it emotionally, and this is quite an emotional (not derogatory manner) girl. This tells me that there is a specific gender/personality/personal belief difference that makes people react to this the way they do. I think it should be condemned however, as I said, I’m pretty sure that the guys ideas of ‘machoism’ and ‘protecting women and children’ probably led to the overreaction. In general, I don’t like those people. ---
**Author:** ![dude\_robert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8e7dd6/32.png) [@dude\_robert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dude_robert)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2017, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-react-to-finding-illegal-porn-on-your-friends-familys-computer/786907/18 "2017-05-18T17:27:00Z")
> [@femmejean](#): > > I think for the purposes of this thread, we refer to ‘illegal’ porn in terms of things that are considered highly reprehensible. Child porn, bestiality etc… I mean I get that I guess since the animal can’t say yes or no, then in perhaps some cases bestiality is sometimes rape, but is there any proof that a large animal like a cow, deer or a boar would really care about a small human having sex with it? I think there was a case where some guy was accidentally killed after having sex with a horse or something after he suffered some internal damage. I wonder what about human-like creatures such as gorillas or chimpanzees? These animals would probably have some basic rules on who can mate with who, so would it be considered immoral for a human to mate with a gorilla. I guess that with bestality, the animals actually are forced to mate with the human, since they’re farm animals in captivity, but what about a tribe of chimpanzees and gorillas in the forest? In that case, they could easily decline to mate with a human if they wanted to. So: Would it still be considered highly immoral for a human to go out into the forest and arrive at a gorilla/chimpanzee camping grounds, make friends with the apes, and then after permission by the leaders was granted, proceed to mate with one of the apes? Even chimpanzees are supposedly immensely stronger than even the strongest human, so really the human is the most vulnerable here. ---
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2017, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-react-to-finding-illegal-porn-on-your-friends-familys-computer/786907/19 "2017-05-18T17:36:20Z")
Feeling anger at rapists of prepubescent children is very understandable. ---
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2017, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-react-to-finding-illegal-porn-on-your-friends-familys-computer/786907/20 "2017-05-18T17:37:35Z")
> [@dude\_robert](#): > > I mean I get that I guess since the animal can’t say yes or no, then in perhaps some cases bestiality is sometimes rape, but is there any proof that a large animal like a cow, deer or a boar would really care about a small human having sex with it? I think there was a case where some guy was accidentally killed after having sex with a horse or something after he suffered some internal damage. > > I wonder what about human-like creatures such as gorillas or chimpanzees? These animals would probably have some basic rules on who can mate with who, so would it be considered immoral for a human to mate with a gorilla. I guess that with bestality, the animals actually are forced to mate with the human, since they’re farm animals in captivity, but what about a tribe of chimpanzees and gorillas in the forest? In that case, they could easily decline to mate with a human if they wanted to. > > So: Would it still be considered highly immoral for a human to go out into the forest and arrive at a gorilla/chimpanzee camping grounds, make friends with the apes, and then after permission by the leaders was granted, proceed to mate with one of the apes? Even chimpanzees are supposedly immensely stronger than even the strongest human, so really the human is the most vulnerable here. What happens in the jungle stays in the jungle. Who am I to judge? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-react-to-finding-illegal-porn-on-your-friends-familys-computer/786907.md?page=2)