Outcry over Sydney pedophile's web site

A convicted Sydney pedophile's personal website, on which he shares his views about "boy love", has been referred to the Australian Federal Police. The website, which has horrified child protection campaigners, was referred to the AFP by Justice Minister Chris Ellison this morning following media reports yesterday. Geoffrey Leonard, 72. who was found guilty of having sexual intercourse with two minors in 1990, launched the site in September last year. While there are no explicit images on it, Mr Leonard has uploaded numerous personal essays about pedophilia. In his "mission statement" he writes: "I am advocating the decriminalization of boy love." "It is my advocacy of boy love that is the reason, or excuse, for my present troubles. I advocate it as being intrinsically beautiful and pleasurable and as having the potential of being of immense benefit to the boy in his growth and development towards manhood." The executive director of anti-pedophilia group Bravehearts said she was shocked by the site's contents. [...]

"He's telling people that pedophilia is fine and it's just and that there's nothing wrong with it, that it's perfectly natural and that children should be encouraged to participate," Hetty Johnston said. She said she was told by Queensland police the site was not illegal but called on authorities to act nonetheless. "What pedophiles do to children is akin to terrorism," she said. [...] He writes on the website that people have been throwing eggs at his house and calling him a dog.

source: 'Outcry over Sydney pedophile's web site' by Jano Gibson; www.smh.com.au/news/national/outcry-over-pedophiles-web-site/2006/03/03/1141191832935.html; The Sydney Morning Herald; 3 March 2006