In a defamation action brought by a man with a decades-old conviction for statutory rape involving a consensual relationship with a 15-year old while he was in his 20s, a federal court ruled against him, finding that it is “substantially true” to call such an individual a “pedophile” even though nothing in his background or subsequent conduct meets the scientific definition of the term. Pedophilia refers to a persistent attraction to pre-pubescent children. Attraction to adolescents is not a psychological abnormality, although sexual contact with them may be illegal in some jurisdictions and unethical in general. Persistent attraction to pre-pubescent children is an altogether different phenomenon, and it is tendentious to confuse the two, as this court gives license to do. When it comes to discussion of sex, some people find it difficult to make distinctions.
When is it OK to Call Someone a “Pedophile”?
