When virtuous paedophiles meet online: A sociological study of a paedophile community

On the online forum Virtuous Paedophiles, experiences of being sexually attracted to children are discussed based on the belief that ‘adult-child sex’ is wrong. Having explored the forum’s culture of support, advice, and negotiations, we find that the stigmatised paedophile character limits both the understanding of being a paedophile and the ability to remain virtuous. Additionally, ideas about the paedophile character allow the formation of a counter discourse: the virtuous paedophile character. We argue that the justifications used in the forum differ from those in pro-contact communities and that the forum can help paedophiles be offense-free.