Luring Paedophiles in Texas

Paedophilia is a problem facing a lot of societies around the globe regardless of their laws and traditions. The least it can be described is a mental illness. The worst aspect of it – in addition to the sexual abuse of children – is being linked to murder as it was the case in Belgium or to kidnapping as it was in Austria.

In UK, the police have succeeded in breaking up networks using child pornography on the net by setting them traps.

In Texas, using minors in a chat room to lure potential paedophiles can work if it is kept as a secret. As the strategy is publicised it can partly work but it won’t end this phenomena. It can either make paedophiles think twice before they’re caught and paraded before a judge.

Paedophiles can resort to other methods like bullying or winning the “affection” of their victims. The other aspect of paedophilia that can’t be easily combated is the one that happen within families, by relatives or a person seemingly above suspicion like a teacher or a priest.

Children should be made aware of the risk they can run with an adult and how to cope, including reporting what they may encounter to their parents and the authorities.

Children in all need a secure environment. But when the abuse happens in places like churches, schools and homes, chatting method will have a limited effect.