Honor Among Conservative Pedophiles: Exploring Online Group Identity and Its Relationship to Escalation Crossover Child Sex Offending

This study qualitatively analyses 2,602 posts from a darknet pedophilia forum to understand escalation crossover from online to contact child sexual offending. We investigate the concept of self-identified “conservative pedophiles,” who abstain from sexual contact with children due to ethical or moral reasons. Eight themes were identified, revealing the development and maintenance of identity as conservative pedophiles and its associated moral frameworks; use of cognitive distortions and techniques of neutralization; complex engagement with child sexual exploitation material (CSEM); peer support within the community, and maintenance of social order. Inhibitors and drivers of escalation crossover are also identified.