Am I suddenly going to be labelled a criminal ?
I have recently discovered your site and I am writing to you for advice regarding the new "extreme pornography" legistation that is being proposed.
I am not specifically into BDSM, but I do like what is typically described as "erotic horror" - that is, material containing nudity and simulated violence/death. I would provide a link, but these days I am very worried about what is being watched. There are really only three sites that I visit - I have little interest in other erotic material.
I do not view material which depicts real violence, injury, or death. Never have. I do not view material which involves children or teenagers. The material I view is quite obviously simulated and whist many would find it highly distasteful, it is nevertheless just consenting adults play-acting.
Prior to this new government campaign, I had never considered that I could possibly be considered a criminal (and a sex offender) as a result of the material that I like to view because I assumed that because nothing illegal was happening in the material and the actors were consenting and adult, there was no real way that anyone could object to it except on the grounds of "bad taste".
My girlfriend has always known about it and she never expressed any dismay about the fact. I obvoiusly don't make my preferences widely known, but I certainly don't feel that I should feel guilty about my tastes. I am not a psychopath. I can clearly differentiate between reality, and the fantasy of someone play-acting in a photo-story/video clip. I do not try to act-out such fantasies in reality. I do not try to "play" at acting out such fantasies in my real sex-life.
I never believed that "realistic depictions" could get into law so easily. I didn't think that obvious fiction could be viewed with such hysteria.
Sorry if it seems like I am justifying my position, but after what has been written in the press since the proposal of this new law, I have felt increasingly like I would be viewed as a phsychopath or potential murderer as a result of my preferences.
I am primarily writing to you because I am really worried. Although the law isn't passed yet, I wouldn't be surprised if the police weren't gathering internet logs and credit card transactions in anticipation of the bill going through. Even if they aren't yet, I would bet that it is the first thing they will do if the bill is successful.
As a result, they would know what sites I visit. As things stand, I am within the law. Since I do not have any involvement in any illegal material, I have nothing to worry about even if the police do have my records right now.
If the extreme pornography law is passed, then I will make sure that I delete any of the material that will be prohibited from my computer. I will also cease to visit the sites that I like. If the law changes, then I will comply with it entirely (though unhappily).
What I am worried about is that if the law gets passed, the police will be looking for "likely candidates" for possession. Presumably they would raid my house, take all my computer equipment, and try to charge me. I am worried that they will do this based on records from before such material was made illegal - simply because they would assume they had a good chance of finding something which by then would be prohibited on my machine.
I am opposed to the change in the law, but I am also frightened. My fear is that I am suddenly going to be labelled a criminal (or at least a suspect), and a sex offender when this law goes through. Do you think that these fears are justified?
Sorry if I have sent this to the wrong place - I know that you are primarily supporters of BDSM and that isn't the same as erotic horror. I have emailed you because I don't know anywhere else where I can air my fears and ask for opinions on the issue.
Backlash has verified this is genuine, and spoken to the author to obtain permission to publish. For obvious reasons we are protecting their anonymity
Shooting the Messenger
The internet is a convenient scapegoat for society's ills.
The UK government is to legislate how best to imprison potentially many people for viewing content on the internet.
How should governments regulate the details of our personal lives and control individual expression ?
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