The Watcher and the Watched

[supergee]

The latest kerfuffle is mega-seller John Grisham* getting indignant because a friend of his was arrested for trying to sign up for a porn site that promised "16-year-old hookers." As many people pointed out, looking at child or teen porn (or for that matter at stolen nude pix) is aiding in the commission of a crime, which is a good argument against doing it.

But I have to wonder how much good is done by dangling temptation and entrapping those who fall for it. I suppose that in theory if we could arrest everyone who wanted to look at the stuff, no one would make it, but that seems awfully indirect.
* Grisham's Law states that lawyer novels drive everything else off the bestseller list.

Comments

[legionseagle]

Apparently they included images of children under twelve having intercourse.

[supergee]

It sounds as though Grisham got the story wrong, and the stuff was worse and the perp more involved.

[legionseagle]

He appears to have written a letter of support when the perp applied to get his practising certificate back; might have been as well to have checked then.