My roommate sophomore year was really into child pornography. I didnt find out until he let me use his computer when mine was in the shop. I was using it while he wasnt there and was going up the “Start” menu and hit the “Documents” folder. The folder popped open and I saw some really disturbing file names. I opened them up to see if it was legit, and was discusted. Searching for this stuff I found tons of legitimate porn and one directory with maybe 100 pics of kiddie porn. I didnt know what to do. He was such a pathetic creature (lived off a drawer full of cheez in a can) that part of me thought he was just really confused and had gotten into something out of a sick demented curiosity. That part of me wanted him to get help, and reporting him (which I couldnt even figure out how to do) wolud not get him that help. I couldnt imagine him surviving prison. On the other hand I couldnt even imagine who would put these kids through this crap. How fragile are these little babies? What the hell, who the hell gets a kid to do this stuff! Its horrible and cruel. I mean I think of some of the stuff I went through as a kid, and I had enough problems, these kids… I cant even FATHOM what there lives are going to be like now that theyve been exploited this way.
So inevitably when I seriously considered turning him in (something I pondered for the remainder of our co-habitation) I inevitably came to the conclusion that he needed a shrink for this and various assundry other problems, and that the people that actually fathom making this stuff should go to jail to get exploited themselves.
If you can still do it turn him in. Don’t do it because you care about him, or because you care about getting revenge against the people that made the stuff.
Do it because if you turn him in there’s a chance the police can find out where he got the stuff, and trace it back to the predators who are making it. If they do that there’s a chance that somewhere there’s a kid right now, going through hell, that can be saved. Somewhere they might be a kid that will never go through hell, because these people will have been stopped.
It’s not much of a chance, but do you not want to take it?
Definitely turn him in. I’ve been really disturbed by some of the things the government is doing to stamp out child pornography, but you have a real live willing participant there. When you think of what those kids are going through, think of your old roomie throing dollar bills at them and shouting “More! More!”
People who look at child porn eventually, in most cases, act out their fantasies. You have an ethical obligation to turn him in!
My elementary school principal got busted by the FBI sending sicko pics to who he thought was a teenage boy. Later it came out that he had molested several students.
Don’t screw with this.
Go to your FBI branch office and just tell them. They won’t care what your name is and they certainly won’t tell ex-roomie “Pythagoras told us you have a surprise for us on your computer.”
A person can always send anonymous snail mail if they are uncomfortable giving their ID. U.S. white pages (phone books) have gov’t offices. If there is just a tel. #, you can call it & ask for a mailing address. Also, local police get involved in this stuff, too. Or they know how to refer it.
Back when I first got on the 'net, I would trade porno pics on IRC. Sometimes I wouldn’t look at what I got until days later. Occasionally some sick fuck would send me some kiddy porn which I would immediately delete. It’s possible that I accidently passed on some kiddy porn by sending something that I hadn’t viewed yet. It’s very unlikely but possible. Anyway, I’d hate to get pegged as a pedophile by accident.
This guy may be another story. His kiddy porn was mixed in with a lot of other stuff but it was all in its own directory so he knew what he had. If all he had was kiddy porn, I’d say that you should definitely alert the authorities. Roomie sounds like he had a huge porn collection with a small kiddy porn section. It doesn’t sound to me like kids are his “thing” rather he just likes smut in general. I am not in any way trying to minimize the horror of child pornography but I’m not convinced that he is really someone the authorities should be spending resources on. There are a lot of sickos out there and not enough police to get them all.
Hajario, if it ever came up I’m sure the FBI has heard of IRC and is aware that people get sent really really foul stuff without even knowing it from time to time. I wouldn’t worry about it
Anyhow Pythagoras said that his roomie had 100 pics or so. That is not “smut in general,” that is something to be alarmed about.
which led me to believe that the kiddie stuff was a small percentage of the whole. That’s why I don’t think that this is a clear cut case. Of course, perhaps the FBI would be better than you or I at making that determination.
