They're operating under the same principle that many of us have in refusing to help engineer weaponry: we don't want other people's actions using our tools to be on our conscience.

Unfortunately, many people believe in thought crimes, and many people have Puritanical beliefs surrounding sex. There is reputational cost in not catering to these people. E.g. no funding. So this is what we're left with.

Myself I'd also like the damn models to do whatever is asked of them. If the user uses a model for crime, we have a thing called the legal system to handle that. We don't need Big Brother to also be watching for thought crimes.