LaRue, a frequent guest on cable news shows on MSNBC, CNN and Fox, writes that “the easy access to millions of pages of online porn is speeding up the dependence and escalation to harder-core material and more.”
The “and more” she is referring to is child porn and sex with minors.
LaRue makes the claim in part one of her essay series, “The Road to Perversion Is Paved With Pornography,” says that sites featuring adults hugging stuffed animals, in particular, are turning otherwise healthy men into raging pedophiles.
She also says men are tricking themselves into believing they can enjoy adult entertainment and still lead a normal, healthy life when, in truth, all men are susceptible to becoming predators.
LaRue then goes on to site numerous examples of online child exploitation, including the testimony of 19-year-old Justin Berry last week before Congress. Berry told Representatives in the House about how he started stripping on a webcam at 13 and eventually began meeting men for sex.
What LaRue neglects to point out in any of her writings are that none of the examples she sites involves legitimate adult entertainment companies.
ASACP Executive Director Joan Irvine says LaRue's assertions are not only false and misleading, but also dangerous because they detract from geniune efforts to protect children.
"Since the public is increasingly aware that the professional adult industry is not connected with child pornography, groups like Concerned Women for America are forced to make broad assertions — like Ms. LaRue’s theory that viewing legal adult entertainment leads to child sexual abuse," Irvine says. Unfortunately, she fails to offer even the slightest proof in her article. She claims viewing pornography leads to viewing child pornography, but in fact our FBI contacts tell us that when they make arrests on child pornography charges, they only find CP on the criminals’ computers — not legal adult material.
"The religious right has always used 'protect the children' as its rallying cry to advance their anti-porn agenda," Irvine adds. "The danger of this kind of posturing is that it distracts from real efforts to protect kids. ASACP prefers to focus its efforts on actually working to stop child sexual abuse."
In part two of “The Road to Perversion Is Paved With Pornography,” LaRue says she will show how the adult industry is selling pseudo-teen porn and receiving advice from industry lawyers who help them “cash in on the big demand and skirt the law.”
