Should I call the cops?

Question

My computer recently broke down and I've been forced to share one with my dad. I have a new Ipod and I downloaded Limewire to get my songs, this was a few weeks ago. Today I went to download some new songs and on my limewire i noticed that my library was missing. I messed around with limewire for a little while before I found the sho hide on the toolbar thingy. I downloaded my song and decided to download the video as well. When it was done I went to Videos and found all of this child porn on the videos and it certainly didn't come form me. I think my dad downloaded it and I'm afraid to tell anyone in my family. I mean isn't i none of my buisness? But i think I heard even having it in your posession you can get into big trouble. I hid the library again and I havent been on the comp until today beacuse its eating me up inside. My dad for the record hasn't ever tried anything with me. Does having this stuff make him a pedophile? I'm just sooo confused I dont want my dad to go to jail

Answer 1

I know this sounds difficult to hear but your father is sick. Where is your mother or some other trusted adult? Tell someone. Child pornography is dangerous. Think of the children involved. They are being abused. It's illegal. You have to tell someone.

Answer 2

First talk to an adult you trust. Then show them the pronography, because yes child porn is a federal offense. You need to report your father. Because he has the information that federal officers need to start tracing the site that has the porn on it. I know this is going to be hard for you and I am sorry. You father is a wonderful man to you I know, but he isn't thinking about what these other children are going through to be porn stars.

It is very likely he isn't a pedophile. Many men become addicted to porn and need it like an alcoholic needs a drink. It stops mattering what kind of porn it is as long as it is porn of some kind. The best thing you can do is know that there is two versions to everyone. The person they were and the person they are. Good Luck!

Answer 3

Don't call the cops.....it will RUIN your family. I promise you this.

Just delete the stuff and tell your dad you found it and took care of the evidence. That alone should keep him from doing it again.

there are many people out there with a morbid curiousity to look at the act but not do anything.... for instance, people look at murder photos on the net all the time, does that mean they want to murder someone?

Your dad may indeed need some help, but don't seek to have him thrown in prison and your family's private life blasted on the front page of the newspaper and the 5 o'clock news. Especially if you're in a town smaller than 100k folks, it will affect the entire family on a public level.

Listen to Yoyo, these things can happen by accident as well.

Answer 4

I am sorry to hear that this has occured to you, it must be terrible. Unfortunately it did, and you now as an adult (or even now as a person who knows what is right and what is wrong) and hopefully a positive person of society, you must face the fact and deal with it (sorry if that is harsh). As a mother, and one who was treated wrongly by a man when only a child, I believe that it is our responsibility to do the right thing when we see another adult making the wrong choices. Someone once said "you know its gotten bad when good people do nothing about the bad things around them" I think that this can apply directly to your situation. You obviously have a good concious, and of course you love your dad and don't want to hurt him. But let me remind you that he is hurting regardless of what you do. Child porn is an addiction unlike any other, besides maybe rapist's and molesters. Unfortunately it is at no point innocent, once a person is turned on to watching innocent children be forced to perform sexual acts, they will find themselves developing an imagination to what the children they see on a daily basis would be doing. In other words, they then begin to fantisize about all children, and they are then a sexual preditor, that is when you cannot control your sexual desires and it affects innocence. That also means that my child is not safe with him, and I don't think that anyone who knows about his "problem" is safe to be with children either, only because even if your father never touched a child in real life, he is watching innocent children being forced to do something they shouldn't do. That alone is harming the children in more ways than any of us could understand, including the child. I know this must be hard for you, and you could approach your father before you take it to the next level. Go online in your private time and research on help groups and information on how to deal with people with this problem. Once you feel you have the knowledge to help dad, gum up the courage to confront him on it. As hard as that might be, you may be saving dad from years of sick addiction, finally helping to free him from it by giving him a safe and loving supporter, you. I will pray for you and your father, and all the children involved. I hope that you can put togther the strength to do whats right.

Answer 5

It's illegal to have it on your computer and further more, it is illegal for you to know about it and do nothing. The thing is you don't know for a fact it was your dad that put it there. You don't know who put it there and it could have been anybody. You need to tell an adult and if that adult doesn't do anything about it then you need to keep looking for an adult until someone does and as hard as this may be if you don't get results then go to the police. Tell the police your story and I can guarantee you they will do something about it.

Answer 6

Maybe one of the sites you download from is corrupted, and that is how it got on your Limewire.
Does anyone beside you & your dad use the computer?

Yes, even visiting a site that has child porn can get you in trouble. And if it really is your dad's, then it is likely that he is a pedophile.

I have to say your question sounds very much like the story of David Westerfield, who kidnapped, raped and murdered Danielle VanDam in San Diego in 2001. His son also found child porn downloaded in much the same way.
Mr. Westerfield is now on Death Row.

Answer 7

Yes having it in your possession is a criminal. If not for your father - do it to protect yourself and the children who are being exploited. You need to get this situation resolved because if someone else runs across it both YOU and your dad will be in trouble. There's no guarantee he'll fess up that it's his so then the suspicious eyes will look at both of you until proven otherwise.

Talk to your mother or another trusted adult in the family and talk to your dad about it. Find out what's going on and get him the help that he needs. Explain to him that he needs help and that it is against the law.

Do it for the children man.... :-D

Answer 8

I have downloaded videos from limewire and they are rarely what the title describes. I wanted "brokeback mountain" and when I opened it it was a dwarf woman having sex with a large man. Not child porn but certainly not the movie I was expecting. It could be that you downloaded the porn by accident. It doesn't mean your father downloaded them at all.

Answer 9

Look at it this way. Your father may not have tried anything with you. But what about when you have children? Are you going to trust them to go around him? That is very sick, not just your father, but anyone that does that stuff....you really need to let someone know like the Police. He may not even go to jail but I'm sure a good outcome for those children will come along. Good luck.

Answer 10

This could be a tough desision for you. The first reaction would be to call the cops; however, how you going to explain all the illegal music you been downloading to the cops. None of this could be deleted ethier as it can be recovered by using advance recover system, even if it was delted of the harddrive.

Answer 11

yes you can go to jail for this just knowing about it and having it on your computer is a crime .you know that any one could still see what on your computer if i was you i would either report him or get rid of the computer completely before the cops find out . but the right thing to do is talk with your father first and then report it