Parents accused of sexual abuse for taking pictures of their kids

[VZLANemesis]

Why the Wal-Mart hate in this thread? The clerk and the company did nothing even remotely wrong. They saw photos of behavior that, for whatever reason, they weren't willing or able to make a judgment call about. So they reported it to the appropriate authorities with the faith and trust that Arizona CPS would be able to handle it properly from there.

The villain here is Arizona CPS and their complete mishandling of the investigation. They should have been able to clear this up immediately with little more than a phone call. Instead they went off half-cocked and started pulling kids out of their home with essentially NO EVIDENCE OF ABUSE.

The sad outcome of this is that, knowing that CPS in many States has gone way off the deep end in similar situations before, I am LESS likely to report something that I might consider borderline for fear of CPS handling the case so poorly. I, and Wal-Mart too, should be able to have faith that CPS will do their jobs competently and properly, without me having to worry about becoming the instigator of ridiculous and over-the-top false allegations.

Exactly my thoughts...

 

[ItsAChiaotzu]

This is why I say the pedophile hysteria is just pointless.

Eventually pedophiles will be accepted and you can hate something else, these things go in cycles.

It wasn't very long ago it was perfectly acceptable to think of black people as lesser beings, now all of a sudden saying such things will shock people.

It wasn't very long ago it was perfectly acceptable to make fun of homosexual people, and point out how their "brains are defective". Nowadays this is not acceptable.

Pedophiles are next, all of a sudden your "kiddy fiddler" jokes will be looked down upon.

The difference is, there's nothing inherently wrong with black people or gays.

So what is inherently wrong with paedophiles, it's no more a choice than being gay or being black is, the law preventing you from acting on your sexual desires will just make them stronger so it's inevitable that there will be some Paedophilia in society.

 

[Jindrak]

I've got to think that the Walmart isn't at fault here, they found something possibly depicting harm toward children and acted accordingly, but the CPS and the Attorney General should damn well know better. I'm a law student and cases like this remind me why, this is the type of case I'd take pro-bono just to shove my foot in the AG's ass. If the statement about the AG telling friends/family/co-workers about it is true, these people are going to be getting a good amount of money. It would take five seconds to look at the photos, look at the situation and see there is neither criminal intent nor gross negligence on the part of the parents, then memory stick should then be mailed to the parents and the case closed, without anyone ever mentioning the words "sexual abuse."

 

[RavingLibDem]

Woooow, way to go Wallmart cracking down on the chil... no I can't even be sarcastic thats just bonkers!

 

[Jindrak]

-snip-

So what is inherently wrong with paedophiles, it's no more a choice than being gay or being black is, the law preventing you from acting on your sexual desires will just make them stronger so it's inevitable that there will be some Paedophilia in society.

Pedophilia harms another person and involves non-consensual sex. Homosexuality involves consenting individuals. A la, gay = good, kiddie fiddling = bad.

 

[nezroy]

i say this, the pictures COULD have been evidence in something more than innocent bath time photos. the person reporting them did the proper thing imo and the agency charged with child welfare checked it out, seems to have found nothing wrong, the parents get their children back and move on.

if i was the parents, if anything id be HAPPY that i had a local CPS that was on the ball and doing their job for a change.

Losing custody of your kids for a month is not OK. It is an incredibly traumatic experience for a child to be removed from their family and to have allegations of abuse leveled against their trusted caregivers. It has the potential for significant and long lasting emotional disruption.

It's equally traumatic to live in a foster or group home for a MONTH while CPS comes to the slow realization that they have no evidence whatsoever to justify the removal. Do you have any idea what the rates for sexual and physical abuse are in foster homes compared to regular homes? I would be terrified to have one of my children in a foster home for a day, let alone a month, on the basis of nothing but a false allegation. And I say this as a foster parent myself.

Arizona CPS completely over-reacted, and did so in a way that is symptomatic of an increasingly distorted view among CPS workers. Sure, there's no question they should have investigated the incident; as you say, we do want them to be on the ball and we don't want anyone to slip through the cracks. But removing the children from the home at that point in the investigation was patently absurd, and I hope they pay dearly in court for it. The States whose agencies are behaving in this fashion need to suffer serious consequences for the outcome of their overzealous and increasingly unjustifiable policies.

 

[Sethzard]

Only in fucking America!

 

[ItsAChiaotzu]

-snip-

So what is inherently wrong with paedophiles, it's no more a choice than being gay or being black is, the law preventing you from acting on your sexual desires will just make them stronger so it's inevitable that there will be some Paedophilia in society.

Pedophilia harms another person and involves non-consensual sex. Homosexuality involves consenting individuals. A la, gay = good, kiddie fiddling = bad.

Paedophilia is the attraction to pre adolescent children, not the acting on it. To be honest, it is just as normal as Homosexuality, it is a genetic defect of sorts and can't be called evil without saying the same thing about homosexuals.

Acting on paedophilia is a different matter entirely and is an extremely difficult subject.

 

[Arehexes]

Six months ago, I think, there was a news story about two 12 year old girls that were arrested and charged for obscene photography/distributing pornography by taking photos of themselves nude on camera phone and then showing them to guys (13), who also got arrested.

Strangely enough, I can remember getting changed into my swimming kit in the middle of the classroom surrounded by other girls and boys. (Back when I was 5-6)

The media frenzy over everyone being a potential paedophile is almost sicker than the paedophiles themselves. But there's nothing that sells papers like rumours of sexual abuse. Sickening.

I agree, media wants ratings so they use either:Sex, violence, or any small thing and make it seem big. If a school shooting happened and the shooter played a video game it's the games fault(Or when a kid joy ride a car it was GTA's fault not the parent for watching him hiding the keys or letting him play the dang game). And this makes me hate people more, if you spank your child and someone see they will call the cops on you for child abuse. Do they even paddle kids in school now(I know that set me straight haha)?

 

[Et3rnalLegend64]

This just in: more people are paranoid and try to screw other people's lives for no good reason. Anyone remember the guy who's now registered as a sex offender because he got caught taking a piss in a public area? Not fair at all.

Pictures in the bath...isn't that standard? How else will you embarrass your offspring in front of their significant other in the future?

Genius response.

 

[tehweave]

Every parent does that. It's not sexual. It's not perverse. And pardon my language but the guy at the photo place is a FUCKING MORON.

 

[JWAN]

I hate people who can't differentiate normal picture taking by proud parents from pornography

I hate Wal-Mart

I hope they get as much as the law allows...

Im sure this is totally Wal-Mart's fault.

 

[Terramax]

By the looks of things parents aren't even going to be allowed to dress their kids soon.

 

[Ancientgamer]

*snip*

...dude, wtf?
Don't mean to be offensive, but...
are you a pedo?
I mean, you make a very valid point and all but still... =S
Even you might look at it that way, it's still kinda sick. Somebody with a sexual attraction towards children might not wanna rape them, but they still will wanna have some form of release from their "unusual likings" even if it is in the form of watching child porn, it is still hurting a kid, don't you think?


Sick sick subject indeed.

You can't talk in absolutes, more often then not it manifests as some guy who has to fap off to a sears catalog rather than playboy. Then there's things like drawn imagery and CGI communities.


You see, Having a particular sexual preference does not automatically make one devoid of morals, ethics, and instilled values. Most paedophiles are vehemently against child porn, molestation ect. They take it upon themselves to quite deliberately not fuel an industry that harms children. And instead use completely innocuous alternatives.

Also;

...dude, wtf?
Don't mean to be offensive, but...
are you a pedo?

No. I am a realist. I am an objectivist, and I know that being a non-conformist is about more than acting like a douchbag to show how edgy you are, but is about logically coming to conclusions on everything. Especially subjects society considers taboo so strongly that one can talk for hours based off a simple knee-jerk reaction without thinking about it for an instant.

And yes, I find that fairly offensive. Or at least sigh worthy. Next time just leave your confoundingly stupid remarks aside and just state your point.

 

[DragonsAteMyMarbles]

That's...just...staggering. I can't even think of a pseudo-witty response to that.

 

[mattttherman3]

Well even my parents have some of me, I have seen them, but honestly unless a good portion of the film is like that, then there shouldn't be a problem.

 

[tsb247]

Speaking as a photo lab technician, I can honestly say that this is the dumbest thing I have EVER heard. I see this kind of thing all the time, and while I have vowed to never take naked bath photos of my own children (when I eventually have them), the fact is, this is very common. I can't stand developing them though... It just makes me uncomfortable.

If I took all of the 'naked bathtime' photos I've had to process to the police, half of the parents in my city would be in prison awaiting their trial for child pornography.

When dealing with photos like the those mentioned by the OP, there are some things to consider when deciding whether or not they are appropriate and should/should not be processed.

1. What is the situation? - Most likely if kids are taking a bath, they won't be wearing anything, and as long as they are young enough, it's plausible. Just as long as the situation does not appear to be artificial and created specifically for the photo, it's usually ok.

2. Are the subjects of the photo protesting? - If they are complaining, that could mean the photo should not have been taken. If the subject is attempting to 'cover up' then that would raise a flag in my mind. Then again, young kids sometimes hate to have their picture taken.

3. How old are the children? - If they are young enough, it's usually just considered, "Being a parent." If the children appear to be old enough to know better, then it may get ugly for whoever submitted the photos. 5 may be pushing it though. I wouldn't process anything of a 5 year old. Then again, I do not know the content of the photos.

4. Finally, are the subjects touching, or is anything/anyone touching them? - It is usually not considered pornography unless someone is being touched. Most photo labs will process all of the naked photos one can being them as long as there is nothing touching the model, and if the model is at least 18.

I have never actually discussed a minimum age with my supervisor, and I suppose I will raise the question today.

On a side note, why would anyone ever go t Wal-Mart for photo processing? If there is somewhere else available to go, go there! Wal-Mart will hire anyone, and they have given me plenty of trouble in the past. Now that I work in lab with a competent staff, I know for a fact that Wal-Mart is inferrior. I'm also not a fan of their Fuji machines. Noritsu machines are better.

And that, my friends, is the situation from the eyes of a photo lab technician.

 

[Blow_Pop]

oh so, then technically the fifty million plus photos my parents have of me naked as a child in the bath mean that my parents sexually abused me? wtf? this is bullshit it really is. The walmart employee fucking overreacted......

 

[Nuke_em_05]

This is what happens when under-qualified, under-educated people who are prone to paranoia are given the right to report innocent things to also under-qualified, under-educated people who are also prone to paranoia in government agencies.

Wal-mart employee: "guy stabbing guy in the back... person robbing from liquor store... animal sex... Roswell photos..." *yawn* "...WTF?!! Kids in a bathtub?!! 8 in a batch of 144?!! OMG!! I'm calling CPS!! Teach those sick fucks a lesson!!"

Meanwhile, at CPS HQ: "You saw him smash Timmy's hand with a hammer? He probably missed." "Sleeping outside in the rain and mud? Ever heard of a campout?" "Voluntarily crapping yourself at 14 is a normal thing." "What?! Bathtime photos!! Quick! Get the SWAT team and and helicopter, these bastards are going down!"

 

[Sexual Harassment Panda]

Sex and nudity aren't the same. I'm sure everyone here understands that, apparently wal-mart employees don't.