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This sort of prosecution makes my head spin off in anger. In principle, no real children were involved at any step. Is someone who enjoys that sort of purient artwork mentally ill? Perhaps. Probably. But I'm a big believer in being responsible for your actions, not your thoughts.
Does this sort of artwork incite crimes against children? Okay, debatable but certainly not clear-cut. I read (and watched) a ton of ultraviolent material, including a version of the Anarchist's Cookbook, but I do not rampage against my neighbors. Everyone is different and a weak or predisposed mind might take direction from words or images. But I still hold that the material itself is not intrinsically evil or illegal. Hitler is one of the most evil figures in my personal history, having lost relatives to his actions, but people should be allowed to read Mein Kampf if they want to.
This virtual (unreal) child porn witchhunt is no different. In the near future we will get past the "uncanny valley" in computer generated imagery and there will be interactive virtual child porn. Perhaps it will become an outlet for would-be child molesters and prevent more harm than it incites.
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