Why can't society have a better understanding about Porn Addiction?
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Hi Everyone,
I am having a bit of a tough time at the moment, I guess an emotional low during this roller coaster of emotions. I read in one of the previous threads about the time scales having a significant impact on individuals and their families mental health, well I couldn't agree more. Its been over 2 years since our knock and my husband is still awaiting his punishment, although in all honesty the punishment started 2 years ago! The waiting has been sheer torture and we have put our lives on hold with the hope this would have been over by now. The unknown of the future has really affected our mental health, as well as losing relationships with people we cared deeply about. As many of you have already said... if these people are so dangerous as the media make out, then why are they made to wait so long?
On top of the wait, the media got hold of my husbands case at plea hearing stage and decided to write a article which wasn't acurate, but unfortunatly all our friends and family found out via this article which was dreadful for them and for us. It was even harder as we hadn't told many people due to following police and legal advice, and honestly didnt expect any potential media coverage until sentencing had been completed. The media don't care about mental health, and felt happy posting our street address, so lets add feeling insecure in your own home on top of everything else!!! Luckily we were okay, but it's not the point and I can't believe the media can be so careless, especially when there are others living at the address who have done nothing wrong! All I keep thinking is what ifs... had we gone against police and legal advice, would our current support network be better?
Currently my husband is still awaiting sentencing and his mental health has drastically deteriorated which I am trying to support with whilst also looking after my own health. My mental health has deteriorated since our friends and family found out, it was much more managable before everyone else knew. I have some amazing friends who are there for me, but not so many who are there to support him to. This is really sad as people thought so highly of him, until they found out and read the article. People keep asking how they can help me, and truthfully if they just offered support for my husband it would take the pressure of me. Then when I do ask for help, some friends just ignore the messages. If people no longer want to be our friends, I wish they would just tell me, that way I wouldn't need to worry about trying to make the friendship work alongside everything else.
What I find even harder is I know for a fact these people would feel more at ease if they physically saw my husband face to face... it would make them remember that he is actually a human being with feelings and emotions who is extremely remorsful for how his addiction to porn esculated. He was a man suffering with depression, had a traumatic childhood and never learnt to manage his emotions in a healthy way. As he reached adulthood he still never spoke about his mental health and everything just esculated into a giant complex mess!
I just feel society need wider education around this topic, so they realise these people are not all monsters, but instead humans with their own psychological traumas.
The shame and isolation is just horrendous, and honestly feels more managable when you have a good support network. I continue to go round in cycles of feeling guilt, upset and anger. I keep questioning do I really want these people in my life when they can't support us at our lowest. Then I get mad at myself, cause I think am I being unfair and need to respect people need time to get their head around this? For me, I just think its obvious... there are two humans who are currently at their lowest in life, so lets just show them support and compassion to help them get through... why can't it be that simple and easy?
I honestly don't wish this experience on my worst nightmare, but sometimes I wish people knew the true extent of the emotional journey we go through before they make their judgements as I am pretty certain their reactions would be different. Its quite overwhelming at times how lonely and isolated you can feel.
If society were better educated, then I can't help but feel our support network would be better. Not once have I ever said what my husband did was acceptable, and I do believe he needs to accept his punishment, which he is doing. However his punishment should be from the justice system, not society. On top of that, he did what he did for a reason, and needs help for that... not to be publically shamed, made to be isolated and lose all of his support network.
Its just so bloody FRUSTRATING! I wish people understood more. I wish people would stop judging, I wish people could be kind and I wish people could just put themselves in our shoes rather than making the situation feel even worse. I wish people could just remind themselves that we are still human beings with feelings and emotions currently going through one of the toughest events in our lives to date!
I guess I am also annoyed cause I wish my friends and family could see how much effort is being put in to try and juggle maintaining a relationship with them, and getting through the other side of this horrfic event in one peice. I wish they could see how much their occasional rejection hurts and how their actions which they feel may be harmless are just another stab in a already large open wound.
I just wish people could look past the stigma and worry of being judged by others if they were seen to be supporting us. I wish the porn industry and images of child abuse didn't exist. I wish the government would do more to stop this and I wish the government would do more to raise awareness of this subject which is destroying families all over the UK and world. I just wish everyone understood this better.
Thank you for listening to my rants, I am grateful this forum is here as atleast I know I am not alone. Hopefully my low will pick up soon, and I can muster up more energy to keep plodding through this nightmare. The end is in sight... just a little while of yet!
I am having a bit of a tough time at the moment, I guess an emotional low during this roller coaster of emotions. I read in one of the previous threads about the time scales having a significant impact on individuals and their families mental health, well I couldn't agree more. Its been over 2 years since our knock and my husband is still awaiting his punishment, although in all honesty the punishment started 2 years ago! The waiting has been sheer torture and we have put our lives on hold with the hope this would have been over by now. The unknown of the future has really affected our mental health, as well as losing relationships with people we cared deeply about. As many of you have already said... if these people are so dangerous as the media make out, then why are they made to wait so long?
On top of the wait, the media got hold of my husbands case at plea hearing stage and decided to write a article which wasn't acurate, but unfortunatly all our friends and family found out via this article which was dreadful for them and for us. It was even harder as we hadn't told many people due to following police and legal advice, and honestly didnt expect any potential media coverage until sentencing had been completed. The media don't care about mental health, and felt happy posting our street address, so lets add feeling insecure in your own home on top of everything else!!! Luckily we were okay, but it's not the point and I can't believe the media can be so careless, especially when there are others living at the address who have done nothing wrong! All I keep thinking is what ifs... had we gone against police and legal advice, would our current support network be better?
Currently my husband is still awaiting sentencing and his mental health has drastically deteriorated which I am trying to support with whilst also looking after my own health. My mental health has deteriorated since our friends and family found out, it was much more managable before everyone else knew. I have some amazing friends who are there for me, but not so many who are there to support him to. This is really sad as people thought so highly of him, until they found out and read the article. People keep asking how they can help me, and truthfully if they just offered support for my husband it would take the pressure of me. Then when I do ask for help, some friends just ignore the messages. If people no longer want to be our friends, I wish they would just tell me, that way I wouldn't need to worry about trying to make the friendship work alongside everything else.
What I find even harder is I know for a fact these people would feel more at ease if they physically saw my husband face to face... it would make them remember that he is actually a human being with feelings and emotions who is extremely remorsful for how his addiction to porn esculated. He was a man suffering with depression, had a traumatic childhood and never learnt to manage his emotions in a healthy way. As he reached adulthood he still never spoke about his mental health and everything just esculated into a giant complex mess!
I just feel society need wider education around this topic, so they realise these people are not all monsters, but instead humans with their own psychological traumas.
The shame and isolation is just horrendous, and honestly feels more managable when you have a good support network. I continue to go round in cycles of feeling guilt, upset and anger. I keep questioning do I really want these people in my life when they can't support us at our lowest. Then I get mad at myself, cause I think am I being unfair and need to respect people need time to get their head around this? For me, I just think its obvious... there are two humans who are currently at their lowest in life, so lets just show them support and compassion to help them get through... why can't it be that simple and easy?
I honestly don't wish this experience on my worst nightmare, but sometimes I wish people knew the true extent of the emotional journey we go through before they make their judgements as I am pretty certain their reactions would be different. Its quite overwhelming at times how lonely and isolated you can feel.
If society were better educated, then I can't help but feel our support network would be better. Not once have I ever said what my husband did was acceptable, and I do believe he needs to accept his punishment, which he is doing. However his punishment should be from the justice system, not society. On top of that, he did what he did for a reason, and needs help for that... not to be publically shamed, made to be isolated and lose all of his support network.
Its just so bloody FRUSTRATING! I wish people understood more. I wish people would stop judging, I wish people could be kind and I wish people could just put themselves in our shoes rather than making the situation feel even worse. I wish people could just remind themselves that we are still human beings with feelings and emotions currently going through one of the toughest events in our lives to date!
I guess I am also annoyed cause I wish my friends and family could see how much effort is being put in to try and juggle maintaining a relationship with them, and getting through the other side of this horrfic event in one peice. I wish they could see how much their occasional rejection hurts and how their actions which they feel may be harmless are just another stab in a already large open wound.
I just wish people could look past the stigma and worry of being judged by others if they were seen to be supporting us. I wish the porn industry and images of child abuse didn't exist. I wish the government would do more to stop this and I wish the government would do more to raise awareness of this subject which is destroying families all over the UK and world. I just wish everyone understood this better.
Thank you for listening to my rants, I am grateful this forum is here as atleast I know I am not alone. Hopefully my low will pick up soon, and I can muster up more energy to keep plodding through this nightmare. The end is in sight... just a little while of yet!
Confused. Com
I could have written this myself. I so so agree with everything you said. I'm at that same point, waiting for my husband to be sentenced. We are now 2 years and 10 months since the first knock. Probably very close to 3 years by sentencing. I'm exhausted. He is simply broken, at rock bottom. Similarly to you, this was tied up with depression and anxiety resulted in a suicide attempt which is when the truth came out. Its devastated our family. I feel horrified by what he has done but have learned the reasons why. He is desperately sorry for what he's done and has taken steps to address this with Lucy Faithful course. We have counselling lined up for after the legal side is done providing he gets a suspended sentence. He has said repeatedly that no-one can hate him as much as he hates himself.
This area is misunderstood, under researched and woefully neglected. It's appalling that Lucy Faithfull get zero state funding. Nothing.
And believe me accessing specialist support through NHS local services is impossible, we tried and so did our GP.
This has to he addressed urgently to protect children long term and prevent previously secure families from from being devastated by it.
I could have written this myself. I so so agree with everything you said. I'm at that same point, waiting for my husband to be sentenced. We are now 2 years and 10 months since the first knock. Probably very close to 3 years by sentencing. I'm exhausted. He is simply broken, at rock bottom. Similarly to you, this was tied up with depression and anxiety resulted in a suicide attempt which is when the truth came out. Its devastated our family. I feel horrified by what he has done but have learned the reasons why. He is desperately sorry for what he's done and has taken steps to address this with Lucy Faithful course. We have counselling lined up for after the legal side is done providing he gets a suspended sentence. He has said repeatedly that no-one can hate him as much as he hates himself.
This area is misunderstood, under researched and woefully neglected. It's appalling that Lucy Faithfull get zero state funding. Nothing.
And believe me accessing specialist support through NHS local services is impossible, we tried and so did our GP.
This has to he addressed urgently to protect children long term and prevent previously secure families from from being devastated by it.
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Thankyou for the replies ladies, it does help to know your not alone.
Andrea and mausell I agree with both you ladies but in different ways. Andrea you are right what these children have gone through is inhumane and not acceptable and the damage to them will probably last a lifetime and will need counselling etc. And it's so sad that children can be put in this position and I do strongly believe anyone who contributes to this horrific industry even if by being a consumer needs to accept punishment from the justice system. However more needs to be looked into, as it's appears very often only the consumers are being punished and not the people who actively made the material or the families that allowed the children to be used in the first place. Secondly there is extensive scientific research about the brain around porn addiction and how it esculates with desentisation over time. The brain adapts and we can very easily become normalised to something and not think of the wider picture outside the screen of what we are viewing. Indecent images are introduced on legal sites as well as inhumane porn title names which the consumers become normalised to the black hole just keeps getting deeper. The consumers themselves are usually vulnerable but the porn industry know this and feed on it. The porn industry pay big money for psychologists to ensure they keep drawing people in with click bait etc. I feel awful for all involved, especially the children however for this to stop we need to look past the consumers and higher up the line to the creators!
mausell it does feel like it breaches human rights as the delay is sheer mental torture and you lose the right to a private family life and living peacefully in your own home. Public shaming does nothing. The mental health perspective is shocking. My husband has had suicidal thoughts as he can't see a way of making this better, although he has already made it better by attending counselling and courses and most importantly recognising what he did was wrong and accepted help. He won't go to see his gp for depression as understandly he has normalised feeling depressed giving the situation. He hates himself and all the horrible things people can say he will have thought himself, as sometimes I think he feels he no longer deserves the help as he is viewed in society as unworthy which isn't the case. This delay is unacceptable as he already started making changes 2 years ago, but we can't move forward until he's received his punishment. He has further psychotherapy lined up for after the sentencing as his recovery will be a long road like others.
the bigger picture of this awful industry needs investigating and stopping to ensure children and future children are protected.
Andrea and mausell I agree with both you ladies but in different ways. Andrea you are right what these children have gone through is inhumane and not acceptable and the damage to them will probably last a lifetime and will need counselling etc. And it's so sad that children can be put in this position and I do strongly believe anyone who contributes to this horrific industry even if by being a consumer needs to accept punishment from the justice system. However more needs to be looked into, as it's appears very often only the consumers are being punished and not the people who actively made the material or the families that allowed the children to be used in the first place. Secondly there is extensive scientific research about the brain around porn addiction and how it esculates with desentisation over time. The brain adapts and we can very easily become normalised to something and not think of the wider picture outside the screen of what we are viewing. Indecent images are introduced on legal sites as well as inhumane porn title names which the consumers become normalised to the black hole just keeps getting deeper. The consumers themselves are usually vulnerable but the porn industry know this and feed on it. The porn industry pay big money for psychologists to ensure they keep drawing people in with click bait etc. I feel awful for all involved, especially the children however for this to stop we need to look past the consumers and higher up the line to the creators!
mausell it does feel like it breaches human rights as the delay is sheer mental torture and you lose the right to a private family life and living peacefully in your own home. Public shaming does nothing. The mental health perspective is shocking. My husband has had suicidal thoughts as he can't see a way of making this better, although he has already made it better by attending counselling and courses and most importantly recognising what he did was wrong and accepted help. He won't go to see his gp for depression as understandly he has normalised feeling depressed giving the situation. He hates himself and all the horrible things people can say he will have thought himself, as sometimes I think he feels he no longer deserves the help as he is viewed in society as unworthy which isn't the case. This delay is unacceptable as he already started making changes 2 years ago, but we can't move forward until he's received his punishment. He has further psychotherapy lined up for after the sentencing as his recovery will be a long road like others.
the bigger picture of this awful industry needs investigating and stopping to ensure children and future children are protected.
Are you referring to kids who are taking pictures of their own private parts and sending them on? Ie teenagers?
Whilst it is still an offence and could land them prosecution and ending up on the sex offenders register there is surely rarely a public interest to prosecute in those circumstances. I think they generally get a stern talking to and possibly a caution.
If any adult received that I would hope their first reaction would be to march straight to the police station and show them their phone/email and say "I've been sent this image by a minor and I need to report this" otherwise if they knowingly keep the image then I believe that would be posession?
Whilst it is still an offence and could land them prosecution and ending up on the sex offenders register there is surely rarely a public interest to prosecute in those circumstances. I think they generally get a stern talking to and possibly a caution.
If any adult received that I would hope their first reaction would be to march straight to the police station and show them their phone/email and say "I've been sent this image by a minor and I need to report this" otherwise if they knowingly keep the image then I believe that would be posession?
You cannot tell from a photo or image the back story of how an image came to be. Could be manipulation or perhaps it was consental with the trust of it not going any further than the recipient.
My step brother got a warning from police because he had pics of his girlfriend who was 17 and he was 18. Their relationship broke down and she reported him for having photos of her. But the police made him delete the photos and I think prove he never distributed any further. They also said he needed to mindful in future if he wants to date younger girls and ensure they are 18 and above for receiving images. He could have got in a lot of trouble but would have been counter productive.
My step brother got a warning from police because he had pics of his girlfriend who was 17 and he was 18. Their relationship broke down and she reported him for having photos of her. But the police made him delete the photos and I think prove he never distributed any further. They also said he needed to mindful in future if he wants to date younger girls and ensure they are 18 and above for receiving images. He could have got in a lot of trouble but would have been counter productive.
I'm sorry Maunsell but I do not think it is appropriate to suggest people destroy evidence and not go to the police. Where Any iioc or any other such illegal material is found should be reported asap. That way the police can work on targeting those sending and distribution and hopefully those responsible for the material at the source.
I'm sorry M but I totally disagree. I did indeed read that article and the woman who received it and went to the police did not get into any trouble whereas the woman who sent it did. I think the worst she could have done in that situation was to delete the image and then destroy the evidence as the police still ended up talking to all the recipients anyway and it looks like she has something to hide then.
U absolutely sympathise with your position I really do and I agree more needs to be done to stem the source of indecent images on the net.
BUT I dont believe criminalizing young people sexting because they aren't being prosecuted as often as fully grown adults who view indecent images is the way forward and your previous message sort of read that way (possibly not by intention).
I maintain that if you ever receive an illegal abuse image then close it. Don't open it again. Proceed straight to the police with the device.
From there they can verify your claim that you have received an image you didn't ask or search for and it protects you from any future allegation that you knowingly posessed an image and they can then investigate the source.
In terms of the length of time for investigations. It is appalling and down to an increase in the crime and in the number of images that people are now in posession of. This isn't a packet of Kodak stuffed behind someone's sofa anymore. It'a hundreds of thousands of images in some cases :( the police are underfunded and swamped.
I do feel that more could/should be done at the supplier end but the consumers exist and they need to be tackled too.
I still am so curious to understand why some porn addicts go to a specific type of porn (e.g I've known straight men look at gay and cross dressing porn to get a kick) and why some take their need for heightened thrill into illegal and abusive direction. What is it about some that means they go there and some don't. I don't think it is a straightforward porn addiction = child abuse images equation.
U absolutely sympathise with your position I really do and I agree more needs to be done to stem the source of indecent images on the net.
BUT I dont believe criminalizing young people sexting because they aren't being prosecuted as often as fully grown adults who view indecent images is the way forward and your previous message sort of read that way (possibly not by intention).
I maintain that if you ever receive an illegal abuse image then close it. Don't open it again. Proceed straight to the police with the device.
From there they can verify your claim that you have received an image you didn't ask or search for and it protects you from any future allegation that you knowingly posessed an image and they can then investigate the source.
In terms of the length of time for investigations. It is appalling and down to an increase in the crime and in the number of images that people are now in posession of. This isn't a packet of Kodak stuffed behind someone's sofa anymore. It'a hundreds of thousands of images in some cases :( the police are underfunded and swamped.
I do feel that more could/should be done at the supplier end but the consumers exist and they need to be tackled too.
I still am so curious to understand why some porn addicts go to a specific type of porn (e.g I've known straight men look at gay and cross dressing porn to get a kick) and why some take their need for heightened thrill into illegal and abusive direction. What is it about some that means they go there and some don't. I don't think it is a straightforward porn addiction = child abuse images equation.
Yes I get the ideal, chasing the high. But there are plenty of porn addicts who don't watch children being raped. Maybe I am thick but I would like to know why my ex husband thought that was ok (because he did have copine level 5 videos and images) and didn't instead pursue many of the other avenues of kink and fetish that are legal (or even quite frankly some of the stuff that is classed as extreme would be better so long as consensual).
I honestly think porn addiction is only part of the answer.
I honestly think porn addiction is only part of the answer.
Lee I completely agree with what you are saying and to me it makes total sense if you understand addiction. As you said every addict is different, just like every person who experiences dementia does in their own way. With complex changes within the brain, no two people will ever experience it the same as everyone's brain is unique to them, along with their experiences and emotions.
Like any addiction this is all about the next dopamine hit, and like all addictions over time they become desensitised and it becomes harder to reach that same level of dopamine reward you first initially experienced. It's like a lot of people assume watching porn is all about sexual gratification, and I must admit I used to believe that until I did further reading and learnt about it more. Paula Hall has written some good stuff.
Addiction is so complex and I think although we have a better understanding there is still lots to learn and understand. Just like the rest of the brain, we have a better understanding but still a lot left to learn and understand.
Like any addiction this is all about the next dopamine hit, and like all addictions over time they become desensitised and it becomes harder to reach that same level of dopamine reward you first initially experienced. It's like a lot of people assume watching porn is all about sexual gratification, and I must admit I used to believe that until I did further reading and learnt about it more. Paula Hall has written some good stuff.
Addiction is so complex and I think although we have a better understanding there is still lots to learn and understand. Just like the rest of the brain, we have a better understanding but still a lot left to learn and understand.
Ok, I'm going to be a bit more open than I wanted here. But here goes.
Several years ago I had to go and see a psycho sexual therapist privately because I felt I had become addicted to porn and also started chatting to men online and met a few of them.
I wasn't happy with my use of porn. I addressed it. I was using porn daily, multiple times a day. For about 8 years in all. I felt like it certainly did affect my first marriage and also my career st the time (worked from home). I have felt the feeling of being numb to porn. Watching two people banging and it being about as thrilling as listening to you tube clips of train spotting.
But I never strayed into illegal porn. But I certainly recognised the signs of going to something a bit more rough or unpleasant. Then I would shake it up and have some time where I would ban myself form that genre and find something else that would give me a kick in a different way but without going to yucky places.
If my ex husband (of my 2nd marriage, just to be clear) had a porn addiction (which I have no evidence for or against) - what in his head was missing to.stop him seeing "yeah that's the line and I'm not crossing it"
Several years ago I had to go and see a psycho sexual therapist privately because I felt I had become addicted to porn and also started chatting to men online and met a few of them.
I wasn't happy with my use of porn. I addressed it. I was using porn daily, multiple times a day. For about 8 years in all. I felt like it certainly did affect my first marriage and also my career st the time (worked from home). I have felt the feeling of being numb to porn. Watching two people banging and it being about as thrilling as listening to you tube clips of train spotting.
But I never strayed into illegal porn. But I certainly recognised the signs of going to something a bit more rough or unpleasant. Then I would shake it up and have some time where I would ban myself form that genre and find something else that would give me a kick in a different way but without going to yucky places.
If my ex husband (of my 2nd marriage, just to be clear) had a porn addiction (which I have no evidence for or against) - what in his head was missing to.stop him seeing "yeah that's the line and I'm not crossing it"
Ps. I also never stumbled on IIOC. But I did see an awful lot of titles alluding to incest and I'm even more aware of that now since the knock. I think that would be a very simple way change the mainstream porn industry could make that may assist with this issue of escalation. Marking probably 50% of videos as teen (even when often a woman in her 40s with 3 c-sections and covered in tattoos lol) is just normalising that it is ok to seek/lust/watch teens.
I do think there needs to be more regulation of the porn industry for sure..
I do think there needs to be more regulation of the porn industry for sure..
Hi Sjp88
I don't have the answers I'm only basing on my experience in mental health and what I have read around the topic. Thank you for sharing your story though, my understanding from I've read is that esculation can come in various ways, for some that may be meeting sex workers, for others illegal material and anything else. In terms of crossing boundaries from what I've read again and from meeting other addicts (not porn) many keep crossing their boundaries which is why they call it esculation etc. For example many people would say they would never drink and drive but some do cross that boundary. Some may say they would only stick to viewing images but some move on to chat sites. I think everyone with addiction is different and doesn't necessary fit into a neat box.
I know the main term currently used is sex addiction, and porn addiction is a umbrella term from that however there is possible development that porn addiction might become its own identity as much research has shown some porn addicts just stick to online activity such as images, webcams and chat sites rather than physically meeting anyone. I hope that makes sense? As I said Paula Hall has written stuff which I could understand based on looking at addiction as a whole.
it's such a complex topic, and like you I initially couldn't make the connection but once I started reading I began to understood. Many people who view indecent images began by watching legal porn, and if you look at porn hub they already begin to normalise teen porn and school girls etc. Obviously if you start navigating of the legal sites and entering these type of search terms then anything could pop up. Also when downloading you come across stuff by accident and that could lead you down that avenue. You just don't know. I've also read some offenders have been sexually abused themselves as children and apparently watched it as they could relate.
as I said it's such a complex field and nobody will fit neatly into boxes just like the rest of all mental health conditions. There are so many other factors to consider such as previous life experience etc. These are just my opinions though and doesn't mean I am right, it's just based in my experiences and the information I've read. To me I can make sense of it, but that doesn't mean it's wrong if you don't. X
I don't have the answers I'm only basing on my experience in mental health and what I have read around the topic. Thank you for sharing your story though, my understanding from I've read is that esculation can come in various ways, for some that may be meeting sex workers, for others illegal material and anything else. In terms of crossing boundaries from what I've read again and from meeting other addicts (not porn) many keep crossing their boundaries which is why they call it esculation etc. For example many people would say they would never drink and drive but some do cross that boundary. Some may say they would only stick to viewing images but some move on to chat sites. I think everyone with addiction is different and doesn't necessary fit into a neat box.
I know the main term currently used is sex addiction, and porn addiction is a umbrella term from that however there is possible development that porn addiction might become its own identity as much research has shown some porn addicts just stick to online activity such as images, webcams and chat sites rather than physically meeting anyone. I hope that makes sense? As I said Paula Hall has written stuff which I could understand based on looking at addiction as a whole.
it's such a complex topic, and like you I initially couldn't make the connection but once I started reading I began to understood. Many people who view indecent images began by watching legal porn, and if you look at porn hub they already begin to normalise teen porn and school girls etc. Obviously if you start navigating of the legal sites and entering these type of search terms then anything could pop up. Also when downloading you come across stuff by accident and that could lead you down that avenue. You just don't know. I've also read some offenders have been sexually abused themselves as children and apparently watched it as they could relate.
as I said it's such a complex field and nobody will fit neatly into boxes just like the rest of all mental health conditions. There are so many other factors to consider such as previous life experience etc. These are just my opinions though and doesn't mean I am right, it's just based in my experiences and the information I've read. To me I can make sense of it, but that doesn't mean it's wrong if you don't. X
Hello,
We are pleased that so many individuals are using the forum and providing advice to each other.
If you would like further advice about the law and legal issues relating to this offence then I would advise that you speak to a solicitor who specialises in these types of offences or contact our helpline so that we can provide you with the most appropriate advice and support.
If you were to receive any unsolicited illegal material our advice would be to report this to the police so that it can be dealt with appropriately.
There has also been mention of images being irretrievable if deleted in a certain way, however the police do have sophisticated equipment that can retrieve deleted files off of devices to examine them for further analysis. A solicitor or the helpline will be able to give you more information about this.
Best wishes,
Lucy
We are pleased that so many individuals are using the forum and providing advice to each other.
If you would like further advice about the law and legal issues relating to this offence then I would advise that you speak to a solicitor who specialises in these types of offences or contact our helpline so that we can provide you with the most appropriate advice and support.
If you were to receive any unsolicited illegal material our advice would be to report this to the police so that it can be dealt with appropriately.
There has also been mention of images being irretrievable if deleted in a certain way, however the police do have sophisticated equipment that can retrieve deleted files off of devices to examine them for further analysis. A solicitor or the helpline will be able to give you more information about this.
Best wishes,
Lucy