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Comment by ImJamal | Hacker News Reader

Seems like the better solution is don't give a pedophila such a low sentence. Throw them in jail for decades. If you are going to release them, which I would not be in favor of, you ban them from all electronic devices. Any device that had "numerous sexually explicit messages and images" of children should be destroyed.

Problem solved.

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> If you are going to release them, which I would not be in favor of, you ban them from all electronic devices.

I want to ask two questions here.

If you believe the prison system can change people and make them better, consider how you would live your current life without access to all electronic devices. Do you still think a flat out ban is reasonable?

If you don't think the prison system can bring about actual change then what do you believe the alternative is?

I think my question boils down to this.

Would you be willing to spend a portion of your salary for the rest of your working life to support a pedophile? That is exactly what would happen if they were cut off from all electronic devices or imprisoned for life.

I do not think he should ever be let out of prison. Pedophilia is a crime that I wouldn't want to risk letting prisoners out of jail if they committed such a crime.

If somebody is stupid enough to let a pedo out out of jail, I don't want him to have access to the same tools he used previously to interact with these children. This is no different than when a drunk driver loses their drivers license.

I am completely willing to accept that some people might be rehabilitated in prison, but I am not willing to take the chance with pedophilia. Certain crimes I would be more lenient with, but one of the most heinous crimes is not something I feel comfortable releasing.

I would much rather pay to keep a pedo in jail then risk any child is hurt.

> I would much rather pay to keep a pedo in jail then risk any child is hurt.

One slight problem with that argument: if the punishment for child abuse is life in prison, and the punishment for murder is also life in prison, wouldn't a child abuser have a rather strong incentive to murder their victim? After all, you can't exactly make it worse, and a dead kid isn't going to talk...

The same applies on the other side as well: if talking means that Uncle Jimmy has to rot in prison for the rest of his life, there's quite an incentive for family members to keep it quiet. "You wouldn't want to do that to Jimmy, would you - he just made a mistake and it won't happen again..."

It might feel right on an emotional level, but in practice punishments like that quickly lead to more harm to kids, not less.

There are a few issues with your argument.

1. If murdering the victim would help a pedo avoid prison then why wouldn't they just murder all of their victims today? The guy in this case already got 15 years in prison, surely he would have wanted to avoid that? I don't think a child rapist is doing some sort of calculation today saying I am not going to kill the kid because 15 years in prison is acceptable, but if I might be in jail for my entire life then I will kill the kid.

2. I don't think a 5 year old knows the difference between 15 years in prison and life in prison so I don't think it would make a difference with the current situation and what I am advocating for.

3. If some family member is trying to avoid life in prison for the uncle, then why wouldn't they also do that for 15 years?

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