I could see how this would be web related, as pedophelia ingrained in otaku culture, and net culture, thereby. But I can't help but feel as this might be more fitting on the politics board. At any rate, I guess this board is fine.
As far back as I can recall, any discussion with people who are openly pedophiles, I think, very rarely comes off as sane to me. I don't mean to distinguish myself from pedophiles, and I don't really condemn that state of mind, but people like that always strike me as perverse and wantonly. As >>2 demonstrates, there is a sense of self-awareness, but overall, people in that mindset seem quixotic.
As >>2 mentions, there's a negative connotation to pedophilia which is definitely unwarranted, in my opinion, as most pedophiles don't want to harm children. I noticed that pedophiles are quick to establish a sort of dichotomy between those who wish to harm children and don't. To some extent, I do agree that those who are often predators sometimes molest children not primarily because they are attracted to them but because of other reasons. And those individuals, I think, are not the same as pedophiles. Usually, from the dozen or so cases I've looked into, predators will molest children because transgressing the law is enjoyable, they'll use children as surrogates when a spouse denies sex, and they'll molest children to feel as though they're in a position of power.
It's interesting how taboo pedophelia is when it's a historically documented practice.
Peter Sotos, I think, says a lot about pedophelia and the media. It shouldn't be hard to find a digital download of his works. It would be cool to see some discussion about him.
There is probably a tendency for men to be attracted to children, but I find it odd that there are not many women in the media described as pedophiles.
On a somewhat related note, in 2005, in France, a trial opens for 66 men and women of a pedophile ring that raped dozens of children (including a six-month baby) between 1999 and 2002. It's a good example of USA-style violence in Europe.