Ethan Edwards is a pseudonym. I am a pedophile, always celibate, and I have never seen child pornography. My attraction is strongest to girls around 4 years old, but I am also attracted to girls and women up through their 30s or beyond. Now in my late 60s, I'm divorced and living alone. I was married for over 10 years and was heavily involved with raising my 3 daughters. For most of my career I was a successful software engineer. I am very unusual for a pedophile in that I didn't realize that I was one until I was in my 50s -- but it was there all along. I am angry that we all must remain silent or risk losing everything. That was my mindset when I co-founded Virtuous Pedophiles in 2012. I soon learned of the the terror of the typical pedophile who realizes as a teenager that his attraction isn't going to go away, who has nowhere to turn for help. The injustice I am most passionate about is the harsh legal penalties imposed on pedophiles who passively view illegal images of children. I stepped down from my role as a director of Virtuous Pedophiles early in 2024 and am delighted to pass the mantle on to a younger generation.

Ethan Edwards is a pseudonym. I am a pedophile, always celibate, and I have never seen child pornography. My attraction is strongest to girls around 4 years old, but I am also attracted to girls and women up through their 30s or beyond. Now in my late 60s, I'm divorced and living alone. I was married for over 10 years and was heavily involved with raising my 3 daughters. For most of my career I was a successful software engineer. I am very unusual for a pedophile in that I didn't realize that I was one until I was in my 50s -- but it was there all along. I am angry that we all must remain silent or risk losing everything. That was my mindset when I co-founded Virtuous Pedophiles in 2012. I soon learned of the the terror of the typical pedophile who realizes as a teenager that his attraction isn't going to go away, who has nowhere to turn for help. The injustice I am most passionate about is the harsh legal penalties imposed on pedophiles who passively view illegal images of children. I stepped down from my role as a director of Virtuous Pedophiles early in 2024 and am delighted to pass the mantle on to a younger generation.

25 August 2019

surprise: what of two 13-year-olds having sex?
ethan edwards

3. of 3. I'm in favor of letting teleiophiles (ordinary folks) figure out the right age of consent. They don't have a vested interest in the outcome.

23 August 2019

surprise: why no adult relationships? it's stigma, not lack of desire
ethan edwards

2 of 3. Pedophilia is so highly stigmatized that it is a very rare dating partner who would learn of your attraction and continue dating you.

22 August 2019

surprise: lots of good pedophiles look at cp
ethan edwards

1 of 3. This series of Surprise posts is of a few key things I've learned since then that I did not know before.

30 July 2019

credible pedophile celibacy
ethan edwards

It's been three months since my last post. Part of the reason for silence is that I've written what feels to me like a lot of material, and most of it isn't part of any news cycle. Most of it is just as relevant today as when I wrote it 4 or 5 years ago. It's rare that I have a truly new thought.

27 May 2019

terminology: cp versus csem
ethan edwards

I have a whole series of posts on child pornography, often abbreviated as CP. Another more recent phrase for this is "child sex exploitation material", abbreviated as CSEM.

22 May 2019

disorder? orientation? that depends on why you're asking
ethan edwards

To me the question isn't what you call it but what you are going to do with the information.

26 March 2019

compare: subway molesters and cp viewers
ethan edwards

What do we expect a pedophile to do — a man who knows he cannot possibly find a truly consenting partner?

23 February 2019

pedophiles watching youtube videos of young girls
ethan edwards

Science suggests maybe 1% of men are pedophiles. What do we actually expect them to do?

24 January 2019

the perfect pedophile
ethan edwards

What would a perfect pedophile look like when all humans are imperfect in many ways?

5 December 2018

the twitter pedophile debate
ethan edwards

One main hope we have is that pedophiles will similarly hear a Virtuous Pedophiles message, recognize themselves and that they are not alone, and feel relief and empowerment.

30 November 2018

lessons from mass shootings for cp viewing
ethan edwards

A matter of great concern to many people in the US is the string of mass shootings that goes on year after year. They garner media attention. They shake people's confidence that they live in a good society if such things happen. They motivate calls for more restrictions on firearms.

25 August 2018

eeeeek! my son is a pedophile!
ethan edwards

It is something a parent never expects. By now many parents are prepared for the idea that their son might reveal some day that he is gay. Lately some are perhaps setting aside a little bit of emotional reserve for the idea he'll reveal that he's actually a girl. But a pedophile? Never!

12 August 2018

three pedophiles in helpless by barbara gowdy
ethan edwards

This 2007 book is the story of an exceptionally beautiful 9-year-old Rachel who is kidnapped by a pedophile. His fantasy is to keep her safe from the danger that he has imagined she is in. His plan is crazy and he eventually releases her, and the story is about what happens in the mean time. Here ...

16 July 2018

review of una
ethan edwards

A review of Una, a British film from 2016, about a relationship between an adult man and a 13-year-old girl and its aftermath.

14 June 2018

pedophilia as a minor secret from your partner
ethan edwards

This post is directed at pedophiles who have some attraction to adults and would like to have a relationship with an adult. (I'll focus on men attracted to women, but all other gender combinations are also possible).

10 June 2018

my boyfriend's a pedophile. what should i do?
ethan edwards

How women partners of pedophiles experience their relationships

15 May 2018

if you don't say no...
ethan edwards

I have always understood the "classic" case of rape or sexual assault. The victim says "no" and the perpetrator continues to do sexual things. But how do we make sense of other cases?

8 April 2018

disgust as overriding value?
ethan edwards

Many people think that proclaiming the message of Virtuous Pedophiles is wrong. Some have launched determined attacks on us, with the result that the VP site is offline temporarily.

24 March 2018

pedophiles working with kids — shocking?
ethan edwards

One recent criticism of Virtuous Pedophiles online was that we don't object to our members working with children without telling the responsible adults. Surely no organization that truly valued children's welfare would allow such a thing!

29 March 2017

practical advice on coming out
ethan edwards

Pedophiles often feel a desire to come out — to have their sexuality known. Here are some practical considerations.

6 March 2017

the iq deficit of pedo abusers may not transfer to the celibate
ethan edwards

Research on pedophiles has suggested that we differ from ordinary peoplein a variety of non-flattering ways . The implications of being short or left-handed are obvious and not very serious for a person's self-concept. But IQ is more central to a person's self-worth, and the claimed deficit bothers...

26 February 2017

review: ethical porn for dicks, part 2 of 3
ethan edwards

The author is David Ley, the full title is Ethical porn for dicks: a man's guide to responsible viewing pleasure. This is part 3 of a 3-part review, on implications for pedophiles.

25 February 2017

review: ethical porn for dicks, part 2 of 3
ethan edwards

The author is David Ley, and the full title is Ethical porn for dicks: a man's guide to responsible viewing pleasure. This is part 2 of a 3-part review, on CP.

24 February 2017

review: ethical porn for dicks, part 1 of 3
ethan edwards

The author is David Ley, the full title is "Ethical porn for dicks: a man's guide to responsible viewing pleasure", and it was published in 2016.

19 January 2017

the framing effect as applied to pedophile mental health
ethan edwards

A well-studied cognitive bias is the Framing Effect.

14 January 2017

libby purves' more lives than one
ethan edwards

If you set out to create the most sympathetic pedophile you could, you would get Kit.

18 November 2016

j.d. salinger
ethan edwards

I feel there is pretty good evidence Salinger was actually a celibate pedophile, most attracted to girls of age 10 or so.

21 September 2016

should pedophiles talk online?
ethan edwards

This post was inspired by a quote in the Virtuous Pedophiles support group:

28 August 2016

gay lust for straight men — implications for pedophilia
ethan edwards

Adult sex with children is wrong. Making CP as we classically think of it is wrong.

25 June 2016

does this link point to cp?
ethan edwards

Someone recently sent me an email saying that they had been a victim in CP, that someone was trying to make those pictures available on the clear web (not just the dark web) and they wanted my help in getting rid of them. They then included several links.

20 June 2016

privilege is not a helpful framework
ethan edwards

Perhaps some of my readers like the concept of 'privilege', as heard notably in 'white privilege' and 'male privilege'. In the interest of a productive dialog, let me start with some things I do believe.

24 May 2016

mandated reporting: the pedophile perspective
ethan edwards

The basics of mandated reporting are simple: Lots of child sex abuse went unreported for years, even though people knew about it. Laws were passed requiring them to report suspected sexual abuse. Some kids were rescued from abuse. But pedophiles found out about these laws and stopped seeking out therapy...

20 April 2016

a path out of self-hatred
ethan edwards

Many pedophiles who send email to Virtuous Pedophiles express a profound self-hatred. The "First Words" tab of virped.org's "Who We Are" menu has some examples.

10 April 2016

cp viewing and raw prejudice
ethan edwards

Imagine a man who sees a video of a 4-year-old girl who is crying as she is vaginally penetrated. He went looking for this video in particular, and he finds it terrifically exciting. He is excited by what is happening as he imagines himself the man in the video, along with the idea that the girl is frightened...

3 April 2016

to every thing a season: objectifying people
ethan edwards

A loud feminist complaint in society is that men objectify women and view them as sex objects. Women want instead to be treated as full people with talents, opinions, and aspirations, just like men. I believe that in general men will instinctively evaluate women with regard to their attractiveness regardless...

3. of 3. I'm in favor of letting teleiophiles (ordinary folks) figure out the right age of consent. They don't have a vested interest in the outcome.

2 of 3. Pedophilia is so highly stigmatized that it is a very rare dating partner who would learn of your attraction and continue dating you.

1 of 3. This series of Surprise posts is of a few key things I've learned since then that I did not know before.

It's been three months since my last post. Part of the reason for silence is that I've written what feels to me like a lot of material, and most of it isn't part of any news cycle. Most of it is just as relevant today as when I wrote it 4 or 5 years ago. It's rare that I have a truly new thought.

I have a whole series of posts on child pornography, often abbreviated as CP. Another more recent phrase for this is "child sex exploitation material", abbreviated as CSEM.

To me the question isn't what you call it but what you are going to do with the information.

What do we expect a pedophile to do — a man who knows he cannot possibly find a truly consenting partner?

Science suggests maybe 1% of men are pedophiles. What do we actually expect them to do?

What would a perfect pedophile look like when all humans are imperfect in many ways?

One main hope we have is that pedophiles will similarly hear a Virtuous Pedophiles message, recognize themselves and that they are not alone, and feel relief and empowerment.

A matter of great concern to many people in the US is the string of mass shootings that goes on year after year. They garner media attention. They shake people's confidence that they live in a good society if such things happen. They motivate calls for more restrictions on firearms.

It is something a parent never expects. By now many parents are prepared for the idea that their son might reveal some day that he is gay. Lately some are perhaps setting aside a little bit of emotional reserve for the idea he'll reveal that he's actually a girl. But a pedophile? Never!

This 2007 book is the story of an exceptionally beautiful 9-year-old Rachel who is kidnapped by a pedophile. His fantasy is to keep her safe from the danger that he has imagined she is in. His plan is crazy and he eventually releases her, and the story is about what happens in the mean time. Here ...

A review of Una, a British film from 2016, about a relationship between an adult man and a 13-year-old girl and its aftermath.

This post is directed at pedophiles who have some attraction to adults and would like to have a relationship with an adult. (I'll focus on men attracted to women, but all other gender combinations are also possible).

How women partners of pedophiles experience their relationships

I have always understood the "classic" case of rape or sexual assault. The victim says "no" and the perpetrator continues to do sexual things. But how do we make sense of other cases?

Many people think that proclaiming the message of Virtuous Pedophiles is wrong. Some have launched determined attacks on us, with the result that the VP site is offline temporarily.

One recent criticism of Virtuous Pedophiles online was that we don't object to our members working with children without telling the responsible adults. Surely no organization that truly valued children's welfare would allow such a thing!

Pedophiles often feel a desire to come out — to have their sexuality known. Here are some practical considerations.

Research on pedophiles has suggested that we differ from ordinary peoplein a variety of non-flattering ways . The implications of being short or left-handed are obvious and not very serious for a person's self-concept. But IQ is more central to a person's self-worth, and the claimed deficit bothers...

The author is David Ley, the full title is Ethical porn for dicks: a man's guide to responsible viewing pleasure. This is part 3 of a 3-part review, on implications for pedophiles.

The author is David Ley, and the full title is Ethical porn for dicks: a man's guide to responsible viewing pleasure. This is part 2 of a 3-part review, on CP.

The author is David Ley, the full title is "Ethical porn for dicks: a man's guide to responsible viewing pleasure", and it was published in 2016.

A well-studied cognitive bias is the Framing Effect.

If you set out to create the most sympathetic pedophile you could, you would get Kit.

I feel there is pretty good evidence Salinger was actually a celibate pedophile, most attracted to girls of age 10 or so.

This post was inspired by a quote in the Virtuous Pedophiles support group:

Adult sex with children is wrong. Making CP as we classically think of it is wrong.

Someone recently sent me an email saying that they had been a victim in CP, that someone was trying to make those pictures available on the clear web (not just the dark web) and they wanted my help in getting rid of them. They then included several links.

Perhaps some of my readers like the concept of 'privilege', as heard notably in 'white privilege' and 'male privilege'. In the interest of a productive dialog, let me start with some things I do believe.

The basics of mandated reporting are simple: Lots of child sex abuse went unreported for years, even though people knew about it. Laws were passed requiring them to report suspected sexual abuse. Some kids were rescued from abuse. But pedophiles found out about these laws and stopped seeking out therapy...

Many pedophiles who send email to Virtuous Pedophiles express a profound self-hatred. The "First Words" tab of virped.org's "Who We Are" menu has some examples.

Imagine a man who sees a video of a 4-year-old girl who is crying as she is vaginally penetrated. He went looking for this video in particular, and he finds it terrifically exciting. He is excited by what is happening as he imagines himself the man in the video, along with the idea that the girl is frightened...

A loud feminist complaint in society is that men objectify women and view them as sex objects. Women want instead to be treated as full people with talents, opinions, and aspirations, just like men. I believe that in general men will instinctively evaluate women with regard to their attractiveness regardless...

the p word is a collection of 256 articles, blogs and podcasts in the voices of pedophiles and others who oppose adult child sexual contact and sexual exploitation of children. Despite our mainstream views, this content is frequently removed from mainstream social media or blog sites because openly discussing pedophile attractions or avowing them are not tolerated. Our side of the conversation continues here.

editor at the p word net

All images are AI and do not depict real people.

the p word is a collection of 256 articles, blogs and podcasts in the voices of pedophiles and others who oppose adult child sexual contact and sexual exploitation of children. Despite our mainstream views, this content is frequently removed from mainstream social media or blog sites because openly discussing pedophile attractions or avowing them are not tolerated. Our side of the conversation continues here.

editor at the p word net

All images are AI and do not depict real people.