tracyg02

Hi LG, Reading Child raped for entertainment was painful. So many people would rather act like these kind of horrific acts don't exist. I know it does and I say Thank You for bringing it out into the open as well as others who work tirelessly to bring attention to this matter. So many people want to ignore things that are not directly happening in their so called "backyard"...if it doesn't hit close to home it is not their problem. I myself am looking in New York for places where I can volunteer to help. Directly or indirectly, this is everyones problem and it is up to people like us to make a difference. Keep doing these stories LG

jasontjax

Hi LG, Though I understand the reasons that this material could not be viewed by Oprah and her audience in Illinois, I think this is by far too important a subject to give up so easily. You correctly note that people ignore all kinds of abuse by refusing to recognize it. Though there were a myriad of reasons why the genocide occurred, look what happened to millions of innocent people in WWII because people didn't want to acknowledge that it was happening at all. You may want to consider taping an episode outside the state of Illinois where the law may be different, or where a qualified immunity might be granted. It is just a thought, but isn't the message too important to not at least explore that possibility?

jasontjax

Hi LG, Though I understand the reasons that this material could not be viewed by Oprah and her audience in Illinois, I think this is by far too important a subject to give up so easily. You correctly note that people ignore all kinds of abuse by refusing to recognize it. Though there were a myriad of reasons why the genocide occurred, look what happened to millions of innocent people in WWII because people didn't want to acknowledge that it was happening at all. You may want to consider taping an episode outside the state of Illinois where the law may be different, or where a qualified immunity might be granted. It is just a thought, but isn't the message too important to not at least explore that possibility?

dotlund

I've been checking your blog everyday since last week when I saw and commented on what you are working on. As I mentioned before, I did some "research" on this topic a few years ago. Something very close to home initiated these efforts of mine. I finally had to back off because I was threatened to do so. A message arrived, "if you know what's good for you, you'll back off." What I found...people thought I was crazy when I spoke of these horrors...part of the reason it prevails is because those who are "into" it extend into every walk of life, including government, elected officials, law enforcement, etc. and computer wiz folks are a MUST...You would not believe the falsehoods I found on our local Megan's Law list of offenders and how the listings are not going through the Ca. State Attorney General's office as protocol dictates. Spoke extensively with a very knowledgeable "supervisor" in the attorney general's office, who insisted on remaining annonymous (sp), who was amazed by what I was finding...At the end of my "research" I was mentally exhausted and I was so afraid for my safety, I had to put it away. You "girls" please keep fighting to bring this topic into the light.

producerlg

I just got this email from Maureen Horkan - who works for the Florida Attorney General's office..

Dear Leslie:

Here's some additional, valuable information I wanted to share with your viewers.

The vast distribution of child pornography affects all of our children, in addition to the victims abused in the images. The huge volume of these sexual abuse images (CP) on the Internet affects normal everyday children BECAUSE it is easily accessible by children in many of the normal computer activities they engage in everyday. It is not difficult to find this material; you do not have to join a club or find a website, it is trafficked on free web-based software that most kids know all about and use regularly to find and download things like music and movies. Parents have to talk to their children about this material and the fact that is illegal and involves real children being abused. They need to ensure that we do not show up on their door step next with a search warrant. The 18 year old we arrested had some very horrific images, so he was not likely an accidental user, but in the 3 years since we started this initiative, we have gone to many homes expecting to find an adult and ended up finding a child. The consequences for our children is HUGE, and in every case where we find a child looking at these images, the parents HAD NO IDEA.

It is very likely that children would come across this material, and you can only imagine what the impact of that could be on them if they are still in the developmental stages. Exposing children to this material normalizes sexuality with and between children. This destroys them in so many ways: it objectifies sexuality, it makes it common that children can be USED for sex, it normalizes violent sex, and it externalizes sexual activity so they do not have to give or be emotionally present to participate, and all of that is in addition to the fact that it exposes them to sex at such a young age.

Normal adults who might see these images by accident (assuming they do not already harbor latent pedophelia) would be sick and not stimulated by the content, BUT children in developmental stages that see/use this material could be affected by it forever. They may be confused, act out similar abuse, and possibly go to jail and be a registered sex-offender, forever.

Our website: safeflorida.net is packed with information for parents and teens. Bill McCollum, Florida' s Attorney General, is trying to raise awareness for everyone. He has given me and my team his absolute support because he understands the seriousness of the problem. Florida has passed laws to increase the number of investigators, increase punishments and raise awareness. We have shared all of this with other states' Attorneys General and will continue to share knowledge and resources in order to protect our most precious gift, our children.

Thank you so much for caring about this work; it is just so important. If you or your viewers have any questions, please know I am available to resply and assist.

believeluv

Hi Leslie,
I was reading through the comments and I did not see the one I left a few days ago. So I thought I would post it again. I will be watching the show when it airs on television. But here is my message I tried to post earlier this week...I reconstructed what I could remember!
Your current research topic is one that brings a lot of heart ache and sadness, but one people need to know and learn about. Being a survivor of child abuse, I can understand it all in a unique way. making sure others get and understanding of this topic is vital to stopping abuse. Truly realizing the depth of child abuse, deception and betrayal on a constant basis, as you have in researching your topic, can be life altering; and at times it can have us relying on the hope that one light shines through, that somehow our personal lives, our family and friends will be spared such tragedy.

Thank you for sharing this with us, I am sure it will change many peoples lives.

bonleek

Child trafficking is not only on video and the web. It is in the homes of many children praying for someone to save them from the atrocities they live every day.
My grandfather started raping me when I was six and my mother¿s denial culminated in cycles of rage toward me when I was nine and told her what he had been doing so he did not hurt my little sister too. She told me that she would kill me if I ever told anyone so I kept silent, ran away as much as I could, and used alcohol/drugs for relief from a dangerous world. I prayed for my mother to die so she would stop hurting me. Nine months and one day after my daughter was born, they were killed in a car accident. I wrote checks on my account after the money was gone trying to kill the emotional pain of my daughter dying and guilt that my prayers had killed my mother.
I was fortunate to be incarcerated from March 18, 1963, to May 22, 1969, when Iowa converted from the punitive criminal justice model to the rehabilitation model. I was the first woman in Iowa allowed to participate in the work release program. I received my restoration of citizenship May 15, 1974, and my executive pardon August 27, 1982.
People were always yelling at me, ¿You just don¿t get it!¿ And they were right, I didn¿t get it. But they wouldn¿t tell me what ¿it¿ was or where ¿it¿ was so I could get some. They were always mad at me for not having any so I was afraid to ask because I didn't want to look stupid. I was looking at the world through my experiences and I knew I was right. And I was right if all I wanted was to drink, drug, prostitute myself and go in and out of prison. Alcohol and drugs had saved my sanity and I had no idea that there was anything past survival.
After I got out and joined a 12-Step program, I finally realized that ¿it¿ was all of the stuff that ¿they¿ thought I knew. Like what to do with the rage and self-hatred, how to get along with people, how not to drink/drug when every cell in my body screamed for relief. They thought I had learned social skills and all those things that help other people succeed in life. I didn¿t. I learned how to duck and weave, be on guard for the next person that was going to rape or beat me. I didn¿t have time to learn those nice things.
I am now a graduate rehabilitation counseling student and will accept my graduate degree in May. I am completing my internship trying to help offenders find employment. When I was a graduate criminal justice student in 2000, I found out that most female prisoners were abused as children. I wrote a novel for that population and have received many tearful hugs and thank-yous. Last week a woman told me that she had to lay the book down once in a while to grieve for me and her, but it helped her heal from things that she had never been willing to look at.
Pedophiles must be held accountable for their perversions. Abuse is cumulative. It is an aggregate of racial, socioeconomic, social, political, family, and internalized messages. Many victims end up in the mental health and criminal justice systems as I did. I believed that ¿it¿ was my fault and I deserved being hurt because I was shown from a very young age that me being hurt was, not only acceptable, but the norm.

amy_29

Leslie, You are very brave and I want to thank you and the Oprah Show for the work you do to bring crimes like this to the masses. I love that you guys are blogging and sharing your thoughts & experiences as Producers of the Oprah Show. I'm always interested in things happen and this is a great way for you to share it!

I must say....after reading several of the blogs, yours is one of my favorites. I love how you're sharing your personal feelings of a show you're working on and how you have been affected by the topic.

joyann3

HI LG we need to shed light on this as often as we can. I live in Barbados and child abuse here and in the Caribbean is HUGE...kids hardly talk about it this side of the Globe I find. I was sexually abused by my biological father and my own mother never belived me and if she did, she never said. I was just seen as a little girl who to them (my family)possesed a wild imagination...my dad passed since then about 8 yrs ago and I always wanted to ask him "why"..I never got the chance and no therapy which is necessary for children who experience those kinds of horrors.
I plan to start my own tv talk show(The Joy Show) here in Barbados that will also be aired in the Caribbean and one of my goals will be to push for tougher laws for these Child Sex Offenders.Majority of these men here don't even see it as a crime claiming ignorance to the girl's age. Any child under the age of 16 (16 is our legal age of consent)it's rape. Some children develope early and some men see that as a green light and the child could actually be 12 or 13.Others are no where near puberity. I am looking forward to this show. Oprah is great but kudos to the producers..... I welcome any advice you might have as I begin my journey educating and empowering others in the Caribbean via The Joy Tv Show.

drkmindfit

Hi LG

I felt so sad reading your initial post about the child pornography and I truly had to wonder how you keep your positive energy flowing with an assignment like this.

I remembered hearing Oprah say on a show a long time ago that there are something like a million hits a day on child porn sites. I don't even know how to word my response to this because I want to say that I can "understand" or "comprehend" that there might be a hundred hits a day with a world population of about 7 billion BUT a MILLION hits?

I feel fear when I hear this because I don't "comprehend" this. How can there be so many depraved minds, hearts and spirits that want to engage with this and respond to it? Where does this come from? I know we want to find ways within our legal system and so on to prevent it but what is going on within people that they WANT this? How do we create healthy human beings that have NO DESIRE for this to exist?

birdjazz

I also attended the taping of this show. It was rough for our group because of the topic and never being to a taping of the Oprah show. But it was an eye opener. Our group thought we should do our part in making awareness of this issue and posted an article in our local paper as well as statements from the sheriff of our town. Child pornography really does affect every parts of the country whether you believe it or not! It's just so hard to think of the innocent children affected.

producerlg

Mar 26, 2009 11:16 AM

  |   in response to: birdjazz

Thanks for you support. The subject matter is hard to hear, but needs to be out there.

birdjazz

Mar 26, 2009 11:42 AM

  |   in response to: producerlg

Do you know when the show will air?

sdrazil

The last show Oprah did on this was just prior to Congressional legislation she was pushing that passed to adequately fund agencies to investigate and prosecute this. It'll be interesting to see how much has changed in the time between shows.

The first one where she showed the instructional card for making videotapes of babies/children for publishing on the internet changed me forever. I really don't trust anyone besides me and/or my husband alone with my children. It's sad this is what the world comes to.

And my mother constantly harps on me because she thinks we are paranoid for not ever wanting a babysitter.

koverhill

I too, wish to educate people about what can happen to a child who has been horrifically abused. I watched the show and cried. Many thoughts came to mind and it's been my mission to help in any way that I can. I've been answering questions refarding my story in the book "Switching Time". There is so much more to me than what was written within the pages of my book. My hope is to bring awareness to child abuse. Please, if I can be of any help, contact me. I know the pain these children endure, I've been there and may be able to share how I survived. Healing from child abuse takes a lifetime. Bringing awareness out in the open is just the first step.

drlngtn

Hi LG! I was a member of the audience when this show was taped. I find it difficult to admit, but I too was one of those people who thought of child pornography as just dirty, naked pictures of children. This show opened my eyes to just how awful and disguisting it really is. How depraved the people are that take the pictures and videos as well as those that find some sort of sexual stimulation from watching it. I had originally came to the Oprah Show to watch a much happier taping. My friend and I had such a great time at the first shows taping that we didn't even hesitate to come to the second shows taping when invited. I have to tell you that when the topic changed to child pornography, I was a little taken aback. I decided to have an open mind and try to use this as an opportunity to educate myself in the hopes of protecting my 2 young children. As the show progressed, I found myself sick to my stomach and crying, I was compelled to run out of the studio with my hands over my ears and tears running down my face, but the only thing that prevented me from doing just that was this feeling I had that I could sit through anything if it meant keeping my children safe. And I didn't want to disrupt the show. At one point, I was crying so hard that the strangers sitting behind me were rubbing my back and offering words of support. What a great audience Oprah has!

During the taping, Oprah made a comment that I wanted to share. I'm not sure if it will be aired or if it was during a commercial break, but she made the point that in this day and age we hear the term 'child pornography' so much that it has become white noise. We aren't as shocked by it as we used to be. We are hopefully still sickened by it, but it is truly sad that it has become something we hear about often enough that it doesn't even shock us anymore. These are our young people and we as parents and a society need to take back the power to protect our children and if that means sitting through something as awful as this show topic, then DO IT!!!

denapat

Kelly is going to face a lot of problems, but the best thing she can do to ensure a positive life from here on is to "just say "NO"" Any of her old friends who are still in that old lifestyle need to be considered friends no longer. This will be hard to do, but the first person who offers her a hit or a toke or whatever needs to be turned away but quick. Kelly appears to have no sense of bounderies, getting pregnant the last two times shows that she doesn't find it easy to think of herself first.Knowing what drugs are capable of turning her into she needs to focus on herself. Oh, and listening to her mother over any of her peers would be paramount!

soniac1501

OMG..I can't even put words together after today's show. Being the mother of a almost 2 year old daughter...I feel ignorant, not knowing exactly what 'child pornography' was. I am sick to my stomach. What has this world come to?? How can we, as a society protect our children?

osukeeper

EDUCATE our children! Back in the day the way for boys to forge into their curiosity of the opposite sex they tried to buy or sneak a peek at a Playboy Magazine. Now with the internet - our young boys go online and have unlimited access to pornographic sites. They see these sites "sex with young girls" and don't have an understanding that those children aren't there by choice. When I first found my son looking at a close up and personal picture of a vagina (not on the internet but from a cd a "friend" gave him) I told him that unless he was going to study to be a gynocologist he shouldn't be looking at those pictures. I then sat down with him and told him that I understood the natural curiosity of knowing all about the opposite sex but then explained that what he will see on the internet or what friends might give him he must realize that the parties involved might not be so willingly. It opened a door for a discussion about child pornography. I monitor my childrens computer usage...they never were allowed to have computers in their rooms and when using the computer in the office the door remained open. I also check the history of the sites they visit. So many children are left home alone with access to a computer with no supervision. When seeing those images at young ages and not having an adult explaining that it's wrong they have a very wrong impression.

nichol31

I just watched today's show regarding child pornography. I am left with tears. I feel sick to my stomach thinking of what these children endure. I am so glad Oprah is bringing awareness to this subject. I feel its a subject that is not understood enough with regards to the specific nature of these images being viewed on the internet and one that many people would rather not discuss. More action needs to be taken to stop these child preditors. I want to know what we can do as individuals to take actions against this. I understand that awareness is the first step but what else can we do as individuals ... and as communities.

sumrose79

Thankyou for having this show.My sister was sexually molested by her father when she was 4 until she was six.She still suffers to this day from his actions,She is 19. People do choose to ignore this subject and its not fair to these children.People need to open their eyes and stop looking the other way.This is real, it could happen to your child!.We need to stop it.

pahu88

I am a Forensic Computer Analyst and I work for the US Postal Inspection Service. One of the crimes we deal with is child pornography. This has to be the hardest part of my job to do. It is so disturbing to have to look at some of the things I see. I have 7 grandchildren and just the thought of anything even close to what I see when performing an analysis of CP to them is unimaginable. I pray they are always safe as well as all the children out there. The only reward to doing this job is when the individual committing this terrible crime is convicted and sentenced to a LONG time behind bars. Unfortunately that is not always the case. In my option the courts do not prosecute these crimes as much as they should. And when they do they are happy if the suspect gets any time at all. In addition it seems that as others have shared the courts tend to shy away from these cases. Being on the federal level it at least seems to incur stiffer sentences when they are convicted. The US Postal Service has been good in the past trying to catch these individuals and I hope it continues. With all the budget cuts and the economy I have heard talk of cutting back on these investigations and I hope is a FALSE rumor. I just wanted to share that those out there doing this work are dedicated to the cause and want to ensure ALL children are safe from this horrible crime. Even though I work other types of computer forensic crimes and always try to do my best. I seem to put more heart and soul in to the analysis of the CP cases in order to ensure we cover all bases and not stone is left unturned so the suspect does not walk. The other issue I see a lot is the drilling that the investigator and forensic analyst get when they have to appear in court to explain the findings. These defense attorneys are smart and try every little trick in the book to prove you wrong. It is ashamed that the defense attorneys even represent these individuals when it is shown to them the evidence. Well I might get in trouble from my boss even sharing my option but I felt compelled to do so. God bless all those law enforcement agencies that support the investigation and the prosecutors who accept these types of cases to prosecute. Thanks for keeping the public informed about this issue.

33nmg77

There are children going through these experiences, the least we can do is listen to it and find out what we can to to help. So after listening to the show I'm asking "What can we do to help?" What laws need to be passed? I understand there are so many cases, that police are overwhelmed. If there is something we can do to help catch these preditors, we need to help.

scasalin

Please, If anyone knows what happen to those children, the little girls, that were being filmed let us know if they are OK! If they were found. What a sick world. How can a once thought of wonderful piece of technology be used for such evil. Please have a show or let us know if the children in those picture were rescued. Please let us know how we can find children on these sites. Lets all go and help them, lets gets get these molesters, monsters punished to never be returned to society again, no matter who they are. Casterate them. Please let us know how to stop this from happening to any child.......ours or not.

dinah665

Apr 20, 2009 6:11 PM

  |   in response to: producerlg

I watched your show today and was horrified. One concern I have is for the victims being taped. You are arresting the perverts who download these horrible tapes but what is being done to try to locate the victims of these films. Children are so innocent and MUST be protected. What can I do? These children are being tortured and are you able to determine where these films are being filmed? Obviously you are also unable to close these sites down. Is there a site that shows the faces of these children so that it can be determined if this is a child in our neighborhood and the police can be called in to pull this child out of the environment. I am overwhelmed with sadness for these innocent victims, please tell me what I could do to help.

dianerandy

I was appauled at the details that were told to us, but like another lady said, if those children are going through this we can at least endure hearing about it. It was too many details for me, but I appreciate this horrible thing brought out in the open, we need to protect all the children not just our own! I too would like to know what as a society we can do to make this stop!!

bethluedke

Today's show on child pornography hit a nerve. I have a 4-year-old and I finally get it. I can't imagine some the explained things happening to my daughter -- it made me ill. Oprah is right -- I had no concept of what "child pornography" really was and figured that if I could take care of my child, I was doing my part. I am now going to spend time tonight looking on-line to find what I can do to help put an end to this sick problem. Thank you for opening my eyes.

missyduck

Between last week's show on predators luring children through the internet and today's show about child pornography, I am absolutely horrified. I have always felt very strongly against pornography in general and when it comes to the exploitation of children, I just get sick. It was extremely difficult to watch today's show and I was actually about to turn the channel when Oprah made the comment about the importance of people being educated on how bad the situations truly are and how these children are being tortured by these sick monsters. I started crying in the middle of my exercise class tonight and burst into tears the minute I came home to my husband and 6 month old daughter, just unable to get thoughts of the show out of my mind. These crimes are unimaginable to me and I am so far removed from it...I can't imagine the shear horror that these children face. Their lives are being stripped from them by these disgusting predatory animals who deserve to be punished to the fullest extent of the law. The fact that judges, lawyers, etc. can turn their backs on seeing the evidence because they don't want to acknowledge what is going on is almost as disturbing as the pornography itself. Who is helping these children???? How can an everyday citizen (a teacher and mother-like myself) do something to help? I WANT TO HELP...I don't know how I will sleep tonight. I am haunted by the descriptions of these terrible acts and I just wonder, where are these childrens' parents? Are the parents the ones doing this? The motherly instinct in me just wants to find a way to help these children, in even the smallest way. When they said that only 1% of these victims are actually saved by the police, it made this story even more horrific. If there is something that I, and others who feel strongly about this, can do to help save these children...please make it known!!! Thanks for opening America's eyes to a terrible epidemic. I hope that others will be moved to want to do something about it too.

slyncasey

Thank you for doing this show. I am not optomistic that we will ever be able to incarcerate 1 million child pornograpers. We need to change some laws and add some new ones. We need to start holding these internet providers responsible for the images they allow on their medium, the same way as we would hold newspapers or television stations. If these images are so easy to find, why do they seem to be so difficult for the internet providers to find them and shut them down. It IS their responsiblilty, just as it is Oprah's responsiblity to monitor the information on her program and in her magazine. I only wonder why we are so reluctant to make these people responsible for their medium?????

aqmama

The details about what exactly child pornography is, shocked me and sickened me. I kept imagining the horror these children had to endure and pictured my 4 year old daughter in that situation. I felt sick to my stomach. As hard as it was to listen, it was necessary. Something needs to be done NOW. What can we do? I will do it.
Thank you, Oprah!

rakshasa

Greetings,

I watched the show about child rape, pornography, etc... And I must say it is about time someone talks about this problem.

The government and its infinite wisdom create a big brother system to better rule its citizens now its subsidized companies like MySpace, Twitter, FaceBook, google,etc as a way to better keep track of its citizens and marketers LOVED the idea and helped produce what we have now a wild west scenarios using the same anonymous tools the government and marketing agency's use to make there next political or business moves are now being exploited by bad people in the same manner.

How come there is no regulation in these social networks. Such it is now that anyone can impersonate whom ever they want with out any trouble to them but all the consequences go to lawful citizens and innocent people such as children.

You truly want to make a difference then start by stopping this anonymous internet we have today, where terrorists, rapists drug dealers etc just do business as usual. Sorry world powers but your secret weapon (Big brother) has back fired and if you want this to work then you must lead by example and start becoming transparent on your activities after all if there is anything that needs to be done in an anonymous way there are proper ways to do so (As a government entity) and as for marketing agencies well its time you start earning your information the honest way ( by asking the public to participate willingly and not by tricking them into social networks to get there personal thoughts on current issues, products, political views etc.

Wake up call time! If one wants to use the internet one must HAVE VERIFIED IDENTITY PERIOD! We are required to have proper identification in all other aspects of life why should it be wild west for the internet... OH I forgot because powerful entities (Including governments are making big money.) This just disgusts me and make no mistake there is no difference between this and the bush administration calming the U.S. does not torture only to find out THEY DID! JEZZ Thank god for SUSAN BOYLE at least there is still something positive to think about. Going back to watching her video

Thanks for reading my post but really OPRAH! you have the power to expose things like this then expose the governments people and CEO's taking kick backs from governments to produce instruments that do nothing but harm to regular people. One example the Credit report system now starting to show it's true colors and the money behind that effort (this will be the next topic knocking at your door the CREDIT CARDS AND THERE PRODUCTS AND INSTRUMENTS.)

I hope Obama truly changes all this garbage.

By the way thanks for exposing topics that need to be talked about regardless how many want to keep there head in the sand!

frega1

I was horrified and can still picture a 4 year old being raped by an adult male! Where do these things get filmed? What can be done to stop it? Where do these"animals" get these children? It has upset me to no end tonight. Please answer I need to know. Thank you.

care101

Please tell me how I can help, what can I do, what is the first step? I am tired of hearing about this and not doing anything about it. Can we on this blog form something to reach law maker and our new president. You get more time in jail for robbing a bank that rapping and watching the rape of a child. Objects & money can not mean more to us than our children. I believe people in the position to do something wont because they don't want to. We have to stand up and make them!! Please contact me, I want to help. Care101

cb3inpa

As many others have expressed, I too am still feeling sick over today's show. I am shocked at how prevalent this has become, and the apparently large amount of people purposely viewing these horrific images. PLEASE have an update show letting all of us concerned viewers know what is being done to find the children who were being abused in those videos!! With all of Oprah's infinite resources, I sincerely hope the show is doing everything possible to find and rescue the innocent little ones who are being tortured at the hands of these disgusting animals. If there is ANYTHING that the average person like me can do to help, I would love to do so - I am left feeling very helpless at this point....

ddcart41

Oprah, I commend you on having the nerve to display this kind of show. Please keep up the good work and keep the word out there so it is not forgotten.

tristar8

I tell you what, If I was running this country I'd have half the population cut down. What's wrong with our laws! There should be a zero tollerance for any child sexual anything. One strike and your out. It's been proven that these sickos cannot be rehabilitated.Put them out of our missory and line them up for the electric chair! The devil is having a field day on earth. We need to come together and take over with our athority God gave us. Presedent obama needs to address this, like yesterday.We all need to step it up!

goinpostle

Thank you for the show today. I can't even begin to explain how sick i feel about this subject. Why is there no suggested solution to finding these kids? As awful as it would be- i suggest posting a tight crop of each child's face from these movies somewhere public, such as on your show, so that they can be identified and saved. If it were my child, i would rather their face be seen and them identified, than for them to continue to endure this horrific abuse. At the very least the adult's faces involved should be shown on the air so that the can be identified. The man who bound and abused the 4 year old girl has no rights to privacy after this. We have to find and protect these children! Everyone talks about preventing people from downloading it, but what about helping the children already being abused?? So horrible. How can we help??

kelly2655

I need to know more. I can't fight the sick feeling in my stomach as I think of the millions of children, the billions of assults that are taking place to create child pornography in the first place.

The 8 year old is in a third grade class somewhere. There are teachers and other kids that sit beside her at the lunch table and play with her at recess.

There has to be a way to find these kids. I can't accept that less than 1% of these kids are ever found.

I am an educator in the school system and I can think of 100 different ways to work with teachers and other educators in how to spot a child being abused or teach teachers how to talk about sexual abuse to their students to help kids be rescued.

Law enforcement and Public Education MUST connect. We have to find these kids. There has to be a way....

I have to go hug my kids now.

Thanks for this show. I'm not going to let this drop. I have to do something....
Kelly

33nmg77

Apr 21, 2009 12:58 AM

  |   in response to: kelly2655

Kelly2655, What you sre saying makes since to me. If you would elaborate on some of your ideas, many mothers would love to help.

venelia68

I must say Monday's show was an eye opener for me. I as well as a few thers thought it was dirty images of children. I now have a lot of questions like if they can tell what home is down loading these horrible violent acts with children, can they tell where the images were up loaded from. If there is some web site can they find out who created it and go after these horrible people and save these children that are appearing in these pictures.

jsburrell

I really think there needs to be a way for children to be made aware of these other kinds of abuse. I think schools should have special assemblies that educate children on the "wrongness" of these types of acts by "adults". We need to give kids a voice. They need to be given the opportunity to share if they are victims or have witnessed this. Please find out if there are these special kinds of assemblies that can educate children and school staff without being specific to the acts. If we don't ask kids or tell them it is wrong they will remain in that nightmare. It was heart wrentching for me to hear this, but now it is time to act. Please pass along any information to the viewers about where we can request these informational/educational assemblies/speakers to come to out schools.

cardiac2

I seen yesterday show, It was disturbing how many child pornography sites the police were tracking in Florida. Unbelievable the sickness out there. A thought came to my mind if the police could track the computers that were downloading these sites, how come they cant shut down the internet access to these homes. We have to apply for internet access and if abused or too many people on the internet at prime time we are denied access and have to wait. Maybe your internet providers are more advance and than ours and should take some ownus on the abuse of use? Just a thought.

quickdraw3

I was up most of the night last night with the horrible thoughts of those children being violated! I am horrified at the thought of what is happening to these innocent children daily & want to know how we can get these "freaks" out of business? I think we should be able to see the childrens' faces only,to help identify them across the net! Almost everyone is on Facebook these days, so why can't we use it as a means of getting the word out? I think that having faces on the home page of Facebook could help these children be saved. Family members, neighbours & even friends, if they see these faces could perhaps help locate them & save these poor children.
I agree that no matter how terrible it is, we as parents should be informed of the underbelly of this world & help to put a stop to it. We need to find out how all parents can help in their community.
Thank you for this show, I will never be the same naive person as I was before it. Lets all help these children any way we can!

stormrydir

Thanks for the show Oprah and Producers on "Child Porn". It sent myself and my sister reeling, but it HAD to be watched! Bringing this into public light on such a large scale arena has been a long time coming.

Please read my story, if you can't.. at least read the end.

I KNOW THIS IS EXTREMELY LONG AND MIGHT HAVE TO BE IN SEVERAL SEGMENTS. I WILL KEEP IT AS CLOSE TOGETHER AS POSSIBLE IF IT DOES. I THANK YOU for taking the time and patience to read it as I hope it helps more than a few people.

Predators can be females just as much as males, and we've been shown that a lot in the last few years. I am going to try to give as much advice as I can on ways to help stop both of them.

AS I said, "THIS HAD TO BE WATCHED!"
I managed to make it through, but I was almost catatonic with my fingernails through my hands by the end of it. My sister had to leave as her most recent diagnosis is she's past the point of being helped unless they manage to do some kind of memory erasement. I'm not better than her, I just insist on trying to "own up" to the abuse, as I know what it is to be on those children's end in both directions. It's not a good view from either side.
Though I know much about this subject, even I was horrified beyond belief at what these children have suffered.

I am a "survivor" of childhood abuse, sexual abuse and rape. I am almost 52 yrs old. I also became a predator as a child.
I'm the 3rd born of 6 children. My 2 elder sisters are "survivors" also. We are hanging on by the edge. The enormity of what RAPE at such a young age does to a child is tremendous. ANYTHING that can be done to stop it and keep it from spreading HAS to be done, because it's only going to get worse if we, as a society, continue to let it happen! It makes it so much worse to know that the Predator who hurt you is still out there, and might never have to suffer justice for what was done!!

I can remember the sexual abuse at my father's hand from the age of AT LEAST 3 on. Through kindergarten-3rd grade I was totally fascinated with sex, looking at and fondling other boy's genitals. This was actually going on in the classroom with my fellow students during those years. I didn't know this wasn't normal, and found ways to make it happen with as many boys and girls as possible. I remembered though, always "keep it a secret".
As I turned 8, my mother asked for a divorce due to my father's infidelity and abuse. In front of me, he took a machete and slit my mother's throat. Just enough to let her know he could and would do it if she ever left.
Although my sisters had been being raped by this time, that was when the rape began with me. My father used any and all opportunites to rape and humiliate myself and my 2 sisters, with objects and otherwise. And although we had suspicions about each other, we NEVER talked about it. The threat was that he would kill the rest of the family if we said
ANYTHING to anyone.
In those days, we had tons of "community neighborliness". Everyone talked to everyone else, and looked out for each others kids. Except our family. We were not allowed to talk to anyone, have..much less hang out with friends, be social (unless he was right there interacting along with us) or learn any type of skills to communicate outside of the family.
He had everyone fooled. He was our block's "big brother". He'd invite the
neighborhood for cookouts, playing baseball in the field, swimming in our pool and fireworks on the 4th of July. We learned not to talk about anything personal, to keep our faces emotionless when it came to any subject that might cause problems in the household, and best of all, never speak about our circumstances to anyone.
When you as a child learn that no one is to be trusted outside of the home, and the homes not a good place for trust, that there is no one to turn to in a time of trouble, or to talk to if you REALLY NEED TO BE HEARD, it does things to your mind.
I learned to shut my mouth, even to those closest..my sisters. The oldest
stayed with our family out of state for her senior year of HS. When she
returned, my suspicions were confirmed when I "overheard" her asking my other sister if our father had ever done anything sexual with her. I was almost 14 at the time, and still afraid of the consequences, so stayed silent. My 2 sisters remained silent also.
We now had a new baby in the house, and my youngest sister would soon be
heading to an age that I was well afraid of. I watched her like a hawk, to keep anything from happening to her. I was so stressed during those years, worried about getting pregnant and him "doing" anything to my younger sister that my periods had stopped.
You can't even begin to imagine how it feels to think of getting pregnant by someone who has raped you. Much less by it being a family member. How do you answer when the school nurse sends you to the office to answer whether you're pregnant or not, or to your parents when they confront you after the school calls your home?
During the next 4 1/2 years, I know I kept my youngest sister safe from him. Several weeks before I turned 18, my older sisters and I decided to join the military. My oldest sister had long been gone from home and had returned to confront me and our 2nd sister. Before she did that though, I had turned 18. My father refused to let me enter the military until my birthday. He had one last "present" he wanted to give me.
Within days of my birthday, my sisters and I had discussed the rapes and abuse with our grandmother, mother and then police. Even though there were "memento's" of the rapes, the authorities refused to prosecute. Our father was such an up-standing citizen, it must have all been a plot to crucify him for some reason or other.
My mother left him, along with our younger siblings and eventually moved on with her life. As there was no proof of sexual abuse with the younger kids, he had access to them but was "put on notice" and did not abuse them as us older three. He did however poison their minds about us, so that really don't have relationships to this day.
I do believe my mother could not stand the shame and the fact that she had failed us, as within a short time she was 1000's of miles away and very seldom in communication. It was not until my grandmother died many yrs later, and her sister confronted her about our father, that my mother broke down. I stood up and defended her, telling my aunt about the "machete incident", and how my mother did what she had to, to protect us.
She had blocked out so much abuse that she didn't remember the "incident" and until then had blocked out the fact that she was sexually abused by her own father. Girls and boys that suffer rape/sex abuse at an early age are more apt to be teen parents, and my mother was one of them. Sexual abuse victims tend to pick sexual abuse predators as parttners. They also have a greater chance of being raped again in the future. And so the cycle continues.

Since leaving home and joining the military, my 2 sisters and I have gone
through years of pain, analysis and every kind of emotional status possible. I have been diagnosed with PTSD and a number of other depressive/psychotic disorders throughout the past 13 years, after my sisters 8th suicide attempt and my subsequent nervous breakdown.

Sexual abuse becomes mental and stays with you forever, whether it's hidden through denial or not, but after awhile it seems like the abuses damage just keeps getting worse and worse. It leads you to be permissive, abuse drugs, alcohol or even just your body and mind. Having "normal" relationships with people is almost impossible.

You mind can go any which way.. in denial, full of self hatred or having such strength of mind that you think you can overcome anything, because you got through it. When something bad happens though, you almost crack because you thought you could hold it all together, and one misstep sends you reeling.

You may or may not remember it, but have such a hard time coping with every little step backward in life, that it becomes one step closer to a breakdown or even suicide.

It leads you to watching everyone and becoming suspicious of every move, every thought, every deed from someone you might get close to. It makes you question such a large amount of your decision making that you wonder if you'll have a mind left to be buried with.

It makes you watch your kids like a hawk, and when you find them picking a partner like you picked, (who just happens to be more like your abuser as time goes by), you can only pray that the cloud you put over their head will stop turning into rain. And the cycle continues yet again.

Sexual Abuse with little kids lead to so many health problems. From torn
tissues and scarring, adhesions, vaginal and anal health problems, problems with their bladders..ie. urinating, bed-wetting, etc., infertility to cancer that it boggles the mind. Your life turns to depression and then your body begins to break down.

People claim that I was abused as a youth, so it's my right to do it to someone else. It's not your right, just as it wasn't theirs! The minute you set yourself down that path, you know you're doomed. I felt that way most of my youth. It took a lot to pull myself up, and I know some people just don't have it in them, to pull themselves up, but it doesn't mean abusing, sexually or otherwise should be tolerated and with an "I'm sorry", forgiven! Forgiveness is divine!, BUT it's IRRESPONSIBLE to let people NOT HAVE TO LEARN FROM IT!

DON'T let this happen to our youth!!!! GET THEM THE HELP THEY NEED!!!
WE as a SOCIETY need to find ways to help people cope with the abuse, instead of trading one predator in jail, while putting another out who will cause twice as much damage before being sent back the next time.

KIDS ARE VERY IN TUNE WITH OTHER KIDS HAVING PROBLEMS!!!

Domestic abuse often goes hand in hand with other abuse in the household. Be a good listener when your child tells you, "John next door, watched his dad punch his mom's lights out last night."

WATCH OUT for the kids next door, and NOTICE when kids are never seen except by their immediate family! MOST FAMILIES with NOTHING TO HIDE let their kids have friends and/or activities to get INVOLVED in. THAT NEIGHBOR or CO-Worker who isn't proud to talk about their kids, MIGHT have SOMETHING TO HIDE!!

WATCH for the KIDS with BRUISES, who SHY AWAY from LOOKING AT YOU.. especially in the presence of certain people over and over again!!.. Usually there's a good reason why they act reclusive when certain people are around.

Watch for those ATTRACTED TO ACTING SEXUAL, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY ARE YOUNG! PUBERTY is NOT the only time some of them show signs of intense sexual interest! MANY HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO SEXUAL INTEREST in a way that they SHOULDN"T be!!!

My kids were watched constantly, and although I am only human like everyone else, I COULDN'T WATCH them ALL the time. NEITHER CAN YOU! FIND SOMEONE to TRUST, ESPECIALLY for an EMERGENCY! I had anywhere from 10 to 60 kids at my home on almost a daily basis! The amounts of PARENTS out there who DO NOT CARE what their kids DO WITH THEIR LIVES are ASTOUNDING!

SEXUAL ABUSE VICTIMS tend to PICK SEXUAL ABUSE PARTNERS in life. They also have a higher incidence of being raped again as adults. KEEP your KIDS as HEALTHY as possible by OBTAINING HELP for them ASAP if you find out they have been ASSAULTED by a PREDATOR.

If your KIDS FRIENDS SEEM LOST because of BAD/OR NO parental involvement, let them know YOU are WILLING to LISTEN if they NEED SOMEONE to TALK to! I've saved some good kids along the way, who I know might not have made it if I hadn't taken the time.

SHOW YOURSELF SOME RESPECT!!!!! IT BEGINS THERE!!!!
ACT LIKE PARENTS WHO WANT TO BE APART OF THEIR KIDS LIVES!!
BE GOOD ROLE MODELS!!!
TEACH YOUR KIDS TO RESPECT THEMSELVES!!!!!!
TEACH THEM TO RESPECT OTHER PEOPLE!!! AND OTHER PEOPLE'S BELONGINGS!.. CHANCES ARE A PERSON WHO RESPECTS OTHER PEOPLE'S BELONGINGS WILL TAKE
BETTER CARE IN EDUCATING OTHERS WHEN IT COMES TO RESPECT!!
GIVE THEM SELF-ESTEEM, so that if other kids pick on them, THEY KNOW THEY ARE NOT WORTHLESS!!!!

THE INTERNET is a DANGEROUS PLACE!!!!
KNOW WHAT YOUR KIDS ARE DOING ON IT!!!!

TEACH YOUR KIDS..
===============
I'D RATHER BE YOUR PARENT, WHO GETS YOU TO ADULTHOOD, SAFELY!!
THAN A FRIEND WHO WATCHES YOU BEING PLACED IN THE GROUND!!!

CATCHING INTERNET CHILD PORNOGRAPHERS TAKES AN EFFORT BY ALL OF US!!!
WATCH, LOOK, AND LISTEN TO THOSE AROUND YOU and MAYBE WE CAN PUT A DENT INTO THIS EFFORT OF GETTING SOME OF THESE MALICIOUS CREEPS OFF THE STREETS!!!!

ANYTHING WE CAN DO AS A SOCIETY IN THE INTEREST OF FUTURE GENERATIONS NEEDS TO BE DONE AS A WHOLE.
"It took a village to raise a child".
"Teamwork is the process of us doing things as a whole".
"You can't raise the Pyramids with a roller and only one person behind it".
"If society can sit and watch a movie together, they can pull together to make the world a better place!".
"WE ARE THE WORLD!".

MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND THE ANGELS SITTING WATCHING OVER YOUR SHOULDER SEND SUNSHINE AND HAPPINESS UPON YOU! thanks for your time!, Storm

crodgers38

Please, Please tell me they have found the children that are being hurt. I cried during the show and can't get the images out of my head. I need to know that the kids are taken away from those people and that law enforcement arrested the perpetrators. I am filled with saddness about those poor children.

23fevrier

What would happen to this young man and how long has he been doing this? I have to admit that I am not sure that I would like to watch any children being molested on tapes. It is difficult enough to hear about those facts although we have to be aware to protect those poor innocent children. But if the molesters are not properly convicted, if the terminology used to describe this situation is not the proper one, how can we fight against those crimes? How can we convict those monsters because that's what they are, they completely disrespect life. And the fact that teenagers should think that watching these tapes is absolutely normal, what's happening to society?

schwartz13

What a tremendous and courageous show--My deep respect for bringing this to us!
I am still haunted and stunned a day later after watching your show¿as it should be---as it should be for all of us¿what a wake up call¿and I am a seasoned administrator in a major urban law enforcement agency¿This show not only breaks my heart¿it infuriates me¿It infuriates me as many of us have been trying to scream out about this crisis since the 80's--as I chronicle in my recently release book "Dreams from a Monster Factory", for example, in circa 1983, a sex offender was in our jails for a year for a child molestation change- he was getting out in 2 weeks and he was screaming at me that he didn¿t get any help while inside the jail and he promised to re-offend and in fact had a specific victim in mind, a six year little girl--I painfully try to make sure this guy did see the light of day until he was treated--but all the criminal justice stakeholders turned a blind eye on this--saying they couldn't do anything since it was only a verbal threat! -our criminal justice system is a disgrace but we can and must use these billion dollars institutions (that we taxpayers fund!) to work for us¿not against us¿to make them engines of accountability and treatment and restoration for many--

Until we have a magic pill to force down these predators throats¿-we must address this head on while we have them incarcerated---Your show gives me tremendous resolve to make sure we do everything we can to get these sex offenders in treatment while they are incarcerated¿

Thank you for your gutsy and brave voices and leadership in bringing this horror to our consciousness-

katrinatl

I cried when I saw this episode. The graphic detail of how these children are tortured is almost too much to bear. I'm conflicted whether this is too much information. That said, if you could help me understand what I can use this information for, how I can turn this anger into something positive to help these children, I will do it. Please, please tell us what we can do to help. I am feeling incredibly powerless right now.

And I agree with what many have said, please identify the abuser - they have no right to privacy.

jaloball

I was deeply saddened by the story of the 5yr old. girl duct taped and then raped while being video taped. But I have a few questions...

1) With the technology that we have available, why on earth can we not use the picture of her face to BLAST and ask "who knows this girl?"
2) Why would the Oprah show distort the face of the 18 yr. old? Why would you protect him? I realize he is innocent until proven guilty, however he is an adult and his arrest is a matter of public record.
3) Thousands of people out here want to know how we can help. I've already written my congressman etc. - but to air a show like that and just leave it as .....there needs to be a call to action. We want to help and volunteer our time we just don't know how.

arivera000

Although I know that it is important to fully understand what is happening to sexually abused children in this world, I cannot imagine having to watch these images as my visual imagery created by my own mind is keeping me up at night. I was so disturbed by this information yesterday. I went into my daughters room (she is now 7) and watched her sleeping peacefully. I thought of all of those violently sexually abused little girls trying to sleep peacefully and asked myself if this would even be possible. They are robbed of so many things including the basic emotional need of feeling safe in this world. All I can say is that I hope that there exists a special place in hell for the men guilty of this sexual abuse as well as the men who view it. God help our children.

ksirns

As I read the reactions to other Oprah viewers I am not feeling so alone today. I feel the show would have been unbearable to anyone but as a new mother I watched and listened in horror at the true definition of child pornography and what these poor children are going through. As others, I was ignorant to what child pornography really was. Although the show was enlightening I was left with this overwhelming feeling of what do we do now? I was shocked when we were told that only 1% of these children are rescued. I lay awake all night wondering what can I do to change this?? I thank you for enlightening us all to the true horrors of child pornography but would really like a follow up show on what more we can do!! I am left feeling sick and helpless. God help those babies that need us so much¿it is up to US to find them!!! Please help!

dilehmk

Thank you for the show, very educational!

cholstrom

I don't believe very young children are being raped by adults and then video taped. They just arrested a suspect in the "craigslist killer" case and there is tremendous media attention Why wouldn't there be as much media attention on suspects of child rapists? Why doesn't the producer specify (with names, dates, arrest pictures) of the "Indiana couple" who raped children in their daycare? It sounds like an urban legend.

The image I have in my mind is of Oprah standing in a crowded room, pointing out of the crowd and crying "rape".

Where is the hard information? Where are the brave people?

amyspeek

WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP THESE CHILDREN???? I was brought to tears yesterday watching the report Lisa Ling gave on Child porn. I'm a single mother and am raising 4 kids under 7 on my own. I can't fathom that happening to one of my precious children or anyone eles's. I want to get involved, enducate people, enforce stricter laws, but don't know where to start. I live in in chattanooga Tennessee. Please tell how I can serve and help these prescious children. My fear after watching was that the parents who want to know more and how to protect their children are not the ones we need to worry about it is the victims in these videos. We need to find the sick people and lock them up and we need to NOT stop until there is effective legislation in place.

haymomwife

I am apalled and disgusted by what is happening in our communities. I can't help but to wonder what will happen in ten to twenty years when these children become adults. When their idea of a normal sexually functioning relationship is so skewed by what has happened to them that the vicious cycle repeats itself. Law enforcement (God bless them for their efforts) need to get out pictures of these childrens faces so that the public can recognize them and help them. I know if my children were being abused I would much rather have their faces published for recognition than the abuser protected for the sake of "privacy." These children have done no wrong and they deserve better than they are getting.

gisastar

I feel sick to my stomach, I'm so so MAAAADDDDDDDDDDDDDD!!! I wasn't able to sleep after the show an I feel agreeee... very angreee, Please I want to be part of the change I want to be part of protecting this children all over the world, what can I do??

apfh321

I too have been consumed with thoughts and images of Mondays show. I had my own ideas of what "child porn" was and those thoughts were bad enough! I was not able to sleep well last night and can't stop hugging my kids. These vile creatures need to be stopped and I hope this amazing show will continue to show us how to help! We need more information on how to bring these "men" to justice and put them away in a box where they belong!!! These innocent children need to be rescued from the scum of the earth! Children all children are a gift and deserved to be treated that way! These monsters are destroying their livelyhood and every chance at these little blessings having a "normal" childhood. I can't get these pictures and descriptions out of my head, nor can I stop crying! These monsters aren't "men" a real man would never do anything like what was described to a human being let alone an innocent little girl or boy. Please do a follow up of how we can get involved in our communities and with our government to make laws more strick and awareness more available, and to find out how to save the worlds most innocent of creatures!!!!!!!!!!!!!

msahota123

The show on child porn really disturbed me today- not that it doesn¿t always disturb me but that map of Florida showing all the areas that there is high concentration of computers viewing porn scares me. Why are so many people looking at it? What is wrong with our society that people (I would assume it is mainly men but not sure about that) would want to see children being tortured like that? Why would someone want to see a child have sex with a dog? I just don¿t understand what causes people to become like this. We are trying to protect our children but there is only so much we can do the real question is how do we fix our society so people don¿t want to see this in the first place?

roryhere

Can you do a follow up as to whether the 5 yr old and 10 yr old girls being brutalized in the videos have been rescued? I had difficulty sleeping last night as I was so overwhelmed by your show. My husband and a few coworkers all have the same question as to whether these poor little girls are safe. Please let us know.
Also is there any way Oprah could help petition for an increase in sentencing for these heinous crimes? This population is so helpless. At 4 or 5 yrs old, Children can't use the phone, work a door lock, know how to navigate to a police or fire station to safety even if the opportunity presented itself to escape. It seems that abuse against them should be a crime against humanity as they are so helpless, and predators should get automatic life sentences or death sentences for their crimes. You can't change a person's sexuality, and if you are aroused by children and think it is "ok" to bind, rape, and torture chilren that is something that will never change and so these predators do not belong in society where they will only harm more innocent children if given the opportunity.
Again, Please let us know if there can be follow up regarding if the 5yo and 10 yo featured in the FL bust have been rescued. Thank you for educating us as to just horrific child porn is.

trinajerry

Thanks for that show. I let my 18 year old son look at it, so he would know you have to be careful what you look at on your computer. I think the 18 year old might have only been looking at these things on his computer.

frega1

What's being done to catch these"animals" that do this to children? Any way of tracking them down? This show has had me in a depressed mood since I saw it yesterday. I'm sorry I heard it. What can we do? Those poor innocent children.

jolopez

LG your in box is full, I can imagine you are getting many requests like mine. Watching the show today I was SICK to my stomach and brought to tears. I feel so angry and dismayed...this is just so horrific...I am finding it difficult to write these post as I have no words to express what I am feeling. I am a mom and it is just heartwrenching to think this is happening to any child. What can I do to help? I want to do something, please, please, please, post information for me and viewers like me that want to help. Where can I volunteer my time to help fight this most evil of crimes against our childeren...OUR children. God help us all, these children need to be protected, the offenders MUST be stopped and punished. There were posts from others asking for ways to help...please,please,please direct us on the best ways to do this.

jolopez

Apr 22, 2009 12:45 AM

  |   in response to: cholstrom

are you kidding me, what more hard information do you need? Urban legend, what a ignorant, careless and irresponsible thng to say.

formica56

I already posted in the message boards, but want to share here as well. I watched the child pornography ~ child RAPE ~ segment yesterday and cannot describe the impact is has had on me. I am a survivor of child sexual abuse (but not outright rape). At the age of 18, I WAS raped at knife-point ~ in a ditch on a cold night in Ohio. Up to that moment I had been a virgin.
My response to that segment is one of abject horror. I have been crying off and on since it aired. My response is visceral ~ it's in my head and in my body. It was in my head when I woke up and has not left. My stomach is in knots. I shake at times.
I have been trying very hard to get these hideous images out of my head, unsuccessfully thus far. I have a severe case of PTSD, and this kicked it into overdrive.
I have been dealing with these issues for years (I'm 53 now), with some measure of success. I'm fortunate; I have two great therapists. One of them is a trauma specialist and I'm seeing him tomorrow for a much-needed EMDR session. (EMDR is a treatment modality specifically designed to treat trauma).
I feel so completely helpless. I am able to come to terms with my traumas, but what of those children who cannot be found... cannot be helped? I imagine that the fiends that perpetrate these horrible crimes upon them toss them away when they are no longer of use... like used garbage. This so completely, totally, and tragically heartbreaking.
What can we do? What can I do to help?
And as hard and graphic as that segment was to watch, in a way I'm glad I did. Now I will laugh at the term "Kiddie Porn." It is CHILD RAPE. Let's call it what it really is, and do something ~ anything ~ about it.
Thanks so much for listening.
Kristin

coco1919

Apr 22, 2009 3:46 AM

  |   in response to: sdrazil

i don't blame you, i never leave my babies with anyone either.
The only people I have left them with is my dad and my husbands mom.

Good job!!! It's hard.

coco1919

Hi, I have tears in my eyes right now just thinking about the things that are happening to our children. It was so horrible to hear about what was on those videos I was sobbing for those poor children. But I feel so angry, I don't know how to help, or what to do! I would donate money and time to help in stopping this. I never really knew what CHILD PORNOGRAPHY was. It's disgusting and horrible!!!! I feel that when a child molester is caught he or she should get life in prison. If there is any thing I could do to help our children let me know!! I just can't stop crying!!!

jenfromfla

Apr 22, 2009 8:38 AM

  |   in response to: producerlg

I am an Oprah fan of many yrs...never written in, before today. As a Mother of a TODDLER GIRL I am sickened and disturbed by this show. I feel the GRAPHIC DESCRIPTION OF THE RAPE OF A TODDLER by Maureen was irresposible and gratuitous. I would bet that there is some pedophile w/access to children REEACTING or FANTASISING TODAY about what she described. I can not get this image out fo my head, yet Oprah show gave us NO OUTLET FOR OUR ANGER. WHO DO WE WRITE/CALL/VOLUNTEER>..what can we do to FIND THIS TODDLER, HELP HER, HELP OTHERS, CATCH THESE CRIMINALS?
The crimes against CHILDREN is a 1# subject, I flet this show (shared w/another topic) did not DO THE SERIOUSNESS of this TOPIC justice.
Please do MORE SHOWS, PLEASE TELL US HOW WE CAN HELP. You got us OUTRAGED...NOW WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP PROTECT THESE CHILDREN?

jenfromfla

Apr 22, 2009 8:39 AM

  |   in response to: goinpostle

FIND THESE BABIES NOW!!

jenfromfla

Apr 22, 2009 8:42 AM

  |   in response to: katrinatl

exactly! I think it may of been TMI. How can we turn this ANGER into something postive?
As of now, I am getting my 2 yr old daughter ready for the day with images of TODDLERS EBING RAPED in MY HEAD!!!
Help? What to DO WITH THIS INFORMATION??
Again, I have watche Oprah for YEARS adn have NEVER written in, until now...
This show was half baked, DO MORE!!!

jenfromfla

Apr 22, 2009 8:48 AM

  |   in response to: producerlg

again, WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP?
MY husband heard me crying this morning, when I was supposed to be getting my toddler ready for a birthday party...I could not tell him what I heard on Oprah show...too horrific...what CAN WE DO to help FIND These kids and HELP? PLEASE DO A FOLLOW UP SHOW with more info how to HELP

mjammes1

I wanted to thank you for doing shows on this topic. As like most I had no idea this was going on to this extreme. As a first time mother of now a 20 month old son, I'm grateful to learn ways to stay in the loop with technology and ways to protect my child.
The shows I have seen have made me so angry, sad and sick at the same time. I just want to jump in and save that victim so bad! I know that alot of people watch Oprah, and I hope that when people finally face this reality; we can ban together and help put a stop to this!

lissa5517

Seeing this show has changed how I will view child pornography and abuse forever! Of course I've always thought it to be horrific and unthinkable but it has hit home -- I really get it now. It -is- those things but it is REAL and happening to innocent, tiny children around us every day!
Great job you guys in exposing millions of us to the truth and reality of it. NOT too much information --just enough. Enough for me to cry while watching the show holding my 1yr old daughter in my arms. Enough for me to feel sickened to my stomach where I could actually throw up. Enough for me to want to do something about it (already sent your letter to my Senators and House Rep)!
It would be wonderful if you did a follow up show very soon so all us that feel this NEED to help know just how. Will our Attorney General or Local Law Enforcement be able to steer us in a productive direction?? They NEED our help!! Why isn't this a priority in this country!!!!?????

anissaj68

Everyone needs to realize that these horrible people are your neighbors; the ones with the nice houses and pretty yards, they are grandparents babysitting your children. The couple that watched my daughter was very loving to the children, the man especially, and we found out after taking her out of their facility that he was molesting the little girls while the wife was out running errands. He is now in prison. I thank God we took her out, but wonder at times if it wasn't too late. I would never have suspected him of such disgusting things and to think I handed my baby over to him every morning.
After watching the show I couldn't sleep and every time I look at my four year old daughter I think of that helpless little girl. I can't get the image out of my mind. It makes me cry thinking about their innocence gone. These are our children. These people must be stopped.

roryhere

Why can't the United States be the first government in the world to really put a bite in sentencing pedophiles? Someone has to take a hard stand to put an end to this horrific abuse of helpless children. You can't change a person's sexuality. When pedophiles are released into society after serving a 5 yr sentence,they will repeat their offenses and rape other children. Why are we allowing this as a society? there should be a mandatory life sentence or if the cost of life imprisonment is too high, a mandatory death sentence. that is not extreme. If it were put to a vote, i find it difficult to believe the majority of americans would not agree the leniant laws are perpetuating the torture and abuse of our children. Why can't the process be started to put a new sentencing structure for pedophiles in place NOW??

penton03

I was severely overwhelmed with the child pornography. Thank you Oprah. I really wish I wouldn't have heard parts of the show because I am still crying. Everytime I think about the animal part. It hurts me to my heart. I wonder if that person was caught because I would like to be alone with that person.

sarahmarko

I watched the show on the topic of child pornography and have been absolutely haunted by it ever since. I can't get the thought of what was described by the members of the Florida's Child Predator and Cyber Crime Unit out of my mind. That night as I was checking on my kids for the last time before heading to bed myself, I just broke into tears and they continued for some time. As if the description of the videos was not enough, the fact that less than 1% of these child victims are ever rescued sent me over the edge. I hope and pray that you do a follow up show saying that that 4/5 year old little girl was found and rescued and that those who were there are serving longer than life sentences.

commuterdc

Apr 23, 2009 12:31 PM

  |   in response to: bonleek

bonleek,

Congratulations on your success! I know it has been a long, dark and tough road to get where you are today. I think that is a very commendable and important vocation that you are helping former inmates find jobs. They need all the help they can get. They have so many things against them once they are released and so much stigma is attached to them even though they have served their time for their crimes. Having a job is an important step to prevent them from going back to their old ways and ending up back in jail. Keep up the good work - you are an amazing person.

mameymom

From Canada: I have not been able to forget the show about Child Pornography. I have felt sick to my stomach, I have cried because all I can think about are all of these poor children who are treated in unforgiveable way. I truly from the bottom of my being do not understand why we as a Nation, with all of the law enforcement, governance, why can we not do anything to combat this disgusting practice. "Everyone in this World needs to think, that when we sit down to a meal, or when we are safe in our homes watching TV, a sports game, Oprah show, etc., there is a child being raped, tortured, molested, hurt." How can we allow this, what can we do, how can we make a difference. Oprah is such a powerful figure, millions of people listen, maybe, hopefully by having this put into the faces of people on a regular basis, the governments, the people will feel the importance of needing to do something about it. I would really love to be able to contribute more that I do, I am a Social Worker and I have been apart of after these types of things happen, what can we do to prevent these innocent little human beings from this!! We put so many resources into fighting wars, etc. what about the wars in our own neighborhoods. Please continue talking and bringing this to the Worlds attention, this is happening, every second, every minute. Please continue to be a voice for all of these children....if anyone can do it, Oprah can. I am FOREVER distraught and crying for each of these children who have had to suffer......

greathound

I am a survivor of child pornography, including rape and forced beasiality. I have waited a while now to 'come out' about this; thank you to the Oprah show for bringing this to the public's attention - it's the only way we'll be able to stop it. I am 45 years old and have been in recovery from the ptsd and inability to trust anyone for over 10 years now. I think the only way to release the rest of the God awful shame I've mistakenly carried for the perpetrators all these years is to tell about it and give it back to the pathetically weak people who did (and do) this. I also NEED to let other survivors know they are NOT what happened to them, they are NOT alone, and they deserve SO MUCH better. (Would anyone read a book about it?) I pray all the survivors KNOW they ARE WORTHY; THEY ARE BEAUTIFUL.

ziona2000

I've been an Oprah fan since the beginning of her career. This particular subject has me writing in for the first time! I need to know HOW TO HELP! I went to the missingkids website but I want to do more than put up posters! I want to get the people who are making the videos and posting them online. Surly there are people who can track these uploaded video's through the internet. I mean come on... someone hacked the US airforce and took control of an airplane via the internet can't someone track these awful people who make these videos? I'm so frustrated looking for information... ugh! Perhaps a follow up show on how people can help. I mean really help!

apfh321

Apr 30, 2009 5:05 PM

  |   in response to: cholstrom

WOW! Are you kidding me?! Have you never watched the news? There are documented cases of this all over the world! They watched the video in front of you, were you not watching the television screen? Why do you think there are such things as Child Protection laws and Sex Offender lists? Look up from your cup of tea and pay attention!!!!!

debbimus

I have not slept since I saw this show. I am so upset but like so many others on this blog, I NEED TO KNOW HOW TO HELP. I understand the reasons for this important show but unless there is something we can do, all the show has done has made people very upset and sad. Surely, Oprah can do more. And help us do more. Please let us know how we can help. I don't want to wait for a follow up show in months. Those kids need help NOW.

berglernut

Jul 30, 2009 9:48 AM

  |   in response to: bonleek

I'm just reading your comment today, because they are airing that show again tomorrow (Friday, July 31, 2009), and it will be the first time I will see it. This producer's blog led me to your comment about your childhood and your life. I too was similarly treated as a child, and what it has done to me is not nearly as terrible as what happened to you later in life, but it definitely had an effect. It's as if I'm frozen in time, I am a senior citizen now, but it has never stopped affecting my life. I live with it every day, it never goes away. It stilted my growth as a person, made me feel I was never worthy of anything other than the basics in life, ruined all my relationships as I had no trust.
It made what happened seem normal, and of course it is not normal, but when I meet normal people, I find it very difficult to relate to them.
God bless you honey, I hope your life is good now, and that you treat yourself well. We are the angels who survived what happened to us, and we will always be blessed and cherished by high spiritual entities.
Keep the faith.

microslmf

Oh my gosh. I sit here watching the show wondering how many children are being abused as the show airs.
I wish when judges, prosecutors and the lawyers that represent these monsters are in court with the slags of life, it would be about the crime of what is done to the children and not the monies, attorneys, or time allocated for "the case."
Until more people step up, this sickness will continue. If I had a dog that acted accordingly, I would put it to sleep. Maybe the punishment should fit the crime. I am sick of hearing how these slags are "sick."
My gosh, I am so sick to my stomach I can't begin to tell you.
I worked with Missing Children on several cases and fortunately we brought some home; others were lost forever.
My heart goes out to parents that lose a child through the hatefulness and cruely of beings that should not be allowed another day of freedom.
My heart is breaking. Oprah is, once again, right on the money.

cowgirlkel

Jul 31, 2009 5:37 PM

  |   in response to: debbimus

debbimus, what you have said is exactly what I'm thinking...how can we help right now? There's got to be a way to find these children. If the police can find who is downloading and watching these videos then why can't they find who is making the video and putting it on the internet? I have got to have an answer to this...does anyone know?

jeannelli

although I did not see the show months ago and only caught the last few minutes of the rebroadcast the impact is still there.It is difficult for those of us that live in secure homes and our children and grandchildren are safe to conceive of the horror that goes on daily to these innocent victims!
i have worked in the mental health field with victims of abuse and I cried after watching the segment over what i know is true.How do we stop these predators and rescue these children? Every time i read or hear about an abducted or missing child my first thought is they are being used in an act of violence.My term for child pornography!
My view is there is no rehabilitation for these perpetrators.Life without parole or the death penalty is the only way to keep them from ever offending!!
Pray for the innocent and work in whatever capacity to ensure this does not continue!

cowgirlkel

Jul 31, 2009 5:54 PM

  |   in response to: jaloball

I totally agree with jaloball. Whoever is reading these comments, please let us all know what we can do...I find it hard to believe that the authorities can't find these people...very frustrating...we need to find these children~

apol4eva

I remember watching a segment on Nancy Grace where a guy was being hunted in connection with brutally raping a 4 year old girl and taping it. It disgusted me so much. I watched the show daily to see if they a) caught the scumbag and b) if they found the little girl and she was ok. Thankfully both happened. Today's Oprah show brought back that sick feeling I had. These innocent young girls are going to develop into strippers, prostitutes, and other heinous outcomes. Their self-worth will be tied to horrific memories of rape. What can be done? What frightens me is the volume of hits these sites receive! I am scared to bring my girls to the beach. May God help these little children.

marie147

When I watched this episode of Oprah, I became physically ill hearing them describe these crimes! It's difficult to hear this, but I cannot even fathom the lives of these innocent children. These children are being victimized over and over again when people watch these images. I know someone who was raped as a young girl, and because of all the scarring, endured years of infertility. These children will bear scars seen and unseen forever. My heart goes out to them.

liaisonsus

Finding the perpetrators of these horrible sick and depraved crimes should be our priority as a so-called civilized society.
But we still have a very long way to go, sadly to have to say!

¿So long as little children are allowed to suffer, there is no true love in this world.¿ Isadora Duncan

I am ashamed of being human! I want to throw up.!
Lets all join forces to catch those bastards and put them away forever and far away from any of our precious children.

liaisonsus

Aug 1, 2009 10:56 PM

  |   in response to: cowgirlkel

Our judicial system is directed by men and is useless and politicized. It is time we took over and did what those incapables cannot do on our payroll and prove to them we can do it fast and efficiently!
That should have been the number one priority is identify the victims and catch the bastards and lock them up.
What is going on? Where is the outrage? Where are all the women in droves willing to move together to catch these people?
We have the power, but don't use it.
When I watched the segment, that was the first thing that came to my mind

twosmartie

Aug 5, 2009 5:50 PM

  |   in response to: missyduck

missyduck you said exactly what I have been thinking..., This episode was just aired in Australia and I too am horrified in what I heard and the descriptions have changed my life forever. I wish I could go back to yesterday before the show and not have these horrible imprints placed in my mind. I was disappointed that the show offered no help or plan of action that I could contribute to stop these crimes against innocent children. I too think of the children and the world they have been born into, who is looking out for them? I am here in Australia and I do not know what I can do. I am helpless in this world that my 4yo daughter is growing up in. I WANT TO HELP? I too did not sleep well last night with this subject matter. So please don't just think America, I am here in Australia too, wanting to help stop this. Together we all can make a difference. Do we lobby our governments for better laws, do we lobby the legal community for the respect of children and how this is the worst crime as it continues to repeat in each generation (if that child has children). Do we lobby internet providers and software operating system developers, to make them accountable for the transmission of this trash? WHAT CAN I DO?