ON a message board just a few clicks on from Google’s home page, a furious user launches into a rant against how society oppresses “his people”.
“No longer will we lurk in the shadows” he rages, blasting: “Our love is no different”.
Dozens rush to back him, applauding his statement. All agree that as a group, their time is about to come.
Yet these aren’t gay rights campaigners or even a persecuted religious minority.
This is a sick community of self-confessed paedophiles talking on a new wave of “legal only” websites where sex offenders preach their twisted vision of
love between adults and children.
The Sun has infiltrated some of the most secretive sites, where adults swapinformation on how to “escalate” a relationship with a child to sex.
They even share tips on how to stop parents suspecting what they are up to, and on how to send images and videos of child abuse over the web without
getting caught.
They also offer mutual support and a sense of community — and a haven for adults to lust over innocent pictures of children.
One group of users even sickeningly agrees that a child actor from a heartbreaking NSPCC clip about child abuse is “hot-looking”.
Most shocking of all is the array of images being posted in forums with names such as “Paedo Playground”.
Many are clearly family snaps, possibly stolen from Facebook, and feature naked children, youngsters in swimming costumes, young boys wearing women’s
lingerie, and nearly -nude children fighting or kissing.
Users discuss their preferred AOA — Age Of Attraction — refer to each other affectionately as “Childlovers” and dub their interest in small children
“Girl Love” or “Boy Love”.
The brazen paedophiles even post symbols to identify whether their interest is in boys or girls, and of what exact age group, displaying these images on
their online profiles.
Experts have dubbed this new generation of evil sites an “evolution” in the way paedophiles operate online.
There are thought to be dozens of such sites, each with thousands of members.
One seen by The Sun had more than 100,000 live topics in English alone, with more than a thousand members online at that moment. Many have large sections in other languages.
Increasingly aware that pages which host illegal images of child abuse are now quickly closed down by police, today’s paedophiles are starting new sites
where they only share pictures which aren’t technically classed as “indecent” under UK law.
By doing so, they are free to speak about their perverted desires, and to swap images of youngsters they lust over knowing the sites cannot be taken down
by cops. The communities on these sites spend their days discussing their belief that sex with children is normal and natural.
Many have compared it to a modern-day version of the foul Paedophile Information Exchange, active in Britain until 1984, see panel right.
And while the websites themselves might not contain any outlawed material, these sites are well-known meeting spots for sex offenders.
After connecting on the sites, paedophiles can then go elsewhere to trade even more vile images via email or instant messenger.
While many can be viewed by anyone, others require users to register, and often new joiners have to be referred by an existing member. A popular topic on one site is the music video for Elastic Heart, by Aussie singer Sia.
It features Hollywood star Shia LaBeouf, 28, and child actress Maddie Ziegler, 12, appearing nearly naked together in a metal cage.
Speaking about Maddie in foul terms, many users claim the video is a coded message from Sia in support of what they dub “girl love”.
One explains: “It’s sad that Shia (her Girl Lover) can’t escape the cage though. Free Shia. Legalise Love.” Another comments: “Of course, Sia won’t
officially admit it’s about Girl Love”.
Another popular topic is the case of London teacher Stuart Kerner, 44, who this month got an 18-month suspended sentence for having sex with a 16-year-old female pupil.
Judge Joanna Greenberg QC, sparked outrage from anti-abuse groups when shesuggested the girl had “groomed” her teacher, and not the other way round.
The judge received high praise from the twisted paedophile community, which rejoiced in what they saw as “acceptance” from the authorities.
Dr Elena Martellozzo, senior lecturer in Criminology at Middlesex University and an expert in sex offenders’ use of the net, said: “One of the worrying
things about these sites is that they mean sex offenders are no longer isolated people.”
One site seen by The Sun accepted donations via PayPal. Others sell adverts, including plugs for Sia’s album and dating site Match.com.
A Match.com spokesman said: "We are shocked an appalled. We immediately blacklisted this site as soon as we were told about it.”
And a PayPal spokesman said: “PayPal explicitly prohibits the use of our service for the purchase or sale of sexually oriented goods or services involving children or made to appear to involve children.
“We would like to thank The Sun for hightlighting this, enabling us to close the account.”
Jon Brown, of the NSPCC, said of the sites: “In an ideal world we’d shut them all down. But there is a hazy line there.
“And if images they show are below Category C [the least serious classification of indecent pictures], it is very difficult for anything to be done.” But users may not be as safe as they think.
A National Crime Agency spokesman said: “Images are assessed on a case-by-case basis. But even if activity on such forums does not break the law, those
frequenting them may engage in illegal activity on more private channels.
With its partners, the NCA has the ability to identify and pursue those people, and bring them to account.”
Hub to share crime
By DR ELENA MARTELLOZZO
THERE is much more awareness of paedophiles than there used to be.
That is true both among the general public and in the police cracking down on websites which share child abuse images.
So these groups represent an evolution in the way paedophile groups operate, in that they now know they need to stay within the law.
They’re getting smarter to make sure they can keep these communities going.
However, often these websites serve as legal “meeting places” for sex offenders, who then trade more explicit material outside the forum.
That’s not the case with all users, but it is certainly the case that users will go from talking about their interest in children on the forum to then
sharing images via another channel – perhaps WhatsApp, Skype or email.
Sometimes users will post images to the forum along with an instruction for other users to email them if they want more explicit pictures.
There are always people who want to go a step further.
Dr Martellozzo is Senior Lecturer in Criminology at Middlesex University and a child abuse expert.
Boasts of sick group
TWISTED members of the Paedophile Information Exchange – or PIE – fought for the age of consent to be scrapped.
If one had to exist, the group said, it should be as low as four years old.
Formed in 1974, PIE presented itself as part of a fight for minority rights.
Met largely with revulsion, PIE had some support. It was affiliated to the National Council For Civil Liberties while Harriet Harman, now deputy Labour
Party leader, was NCCL legal chief. She said she “regretted” the link.
Her husband Jack Dromey, now a Labour MP, sat on the council’s executive committee and insisted he had tried to take on the group. Ex-Labour Health
Secretary Patricia Hewitt, general secretary of the council in the Seventies, later apologised for “getting it wrong” by allowing links.
One of PIE’s leaders, Keith Hose, once admitted: “ I may have had sexual relations with children, but it would be unwise to say.” After a number of convictions the group broke up in 1984.
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