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Sex offenders have been using comments in this way for years and a cynic might suspect that @google are only taking action now because they are losing money. time.com/5541521/youtub…
A few years ago a late teen posted a video of herself online as late teens often do. It was a very well made video of a teen doing things that teens do. Innocuous and attractive only to other teens except...
the comments lit up. Snide comments alluding to personal knowledge of the girl, people writing as if she were their idol, a celebrity or a public figure. Familiar language, friendly banter and links to other public videos of the girl from 10 or 12 years previously.
These other public videos were films of her being sexually abused as a pre-teen child and appeared in many collections seized by police over the years. She had been identified, removed from harm and her abuser jailed but she could never forget.
She would never be let forget. Once she tried to do what other teens were doing the offenders were on to her like a shot and reminded her of her abuse in the most lurid terms.
Some offenders even commented that she was “disgusting now as she had got so old”. #rage
People with a sexual interest in children exist and we must deal with them in the way we deal with terrorists. They must be acknowledged first and foremost and the whole panoply of societal remedies deployed.
Repression through acknowledgement and engagement, especially through prevention of offending. Sensational reporting and pitchfork politics must stop and evidence based action must take its place.
Online platforms must be part of this and if they continue to refuse to acknowledge then they should be forced to through regulation.
