- Sunday, 12 July 2009
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The almighty dollar is the only object of worship - Philadelphia Public Ledger
Police charge dad over baby swinging video
COPPERS in Queensland have decided that it is a crime for anyone to even watch a Youtube video of a man swinging a baby around a room.
Chris Illingworth, a 60 year-old father of four from Maroochydore, was visted by the pold after he posted the video, which he found on YouTube, on another internet site.
It is one of those silly videos that appear on telly when the TV company has no budget left and has been watched by hundreds of thousands of people online.
Illingworth posted the clip on Liveleak and was somewhat surprised when coppers crashed into his house and charged him with using the internet to access and publish child-abuse material.
The anti-pedophile squad Task Force Argos raided Illingworth's home on November 30. He suffered a thorough forensic examination of his home and office computers and a gruelling interview over several hours, complete with fingerprinting and mug shots.
Aussie online users' lobby group Electronic Frontiers Australia (EFA) has contacted Illingworth to provide him with help in fighting his case.
EFA vice-chairman Colin Jacobs said any Internet user could stumble upon these sorts of 'viral videos', which are a far cry from the organised child abusers against whom the laws are targeted.
This means that people could justifiably feel very afraid that casual internet use might bring the police to their door.
Queensland Police said the term "child-abuse material" even extended to clips in such a child "appears" to be a victim of cruelty. So watch any child in a Celine Dion or Craig David video and you can expect a visit from the Queensland constabulary.
Has the world gone screaming mad? [Yes. Ed.] µ
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It has long since become painfully apparent that recent laws passed in the great "Anglo Three" coalition, supposable to protect the world from evil doers, are in fact intended to provide their governments the legal means to suppress anything they deem "un-stabilizing" to the positions and privileges they have accorded themselves........
I was going to have a go at Nick for misreporting the story, but upon further digging he seems to be correct: the police have seemingly been quoted as saying it is a crime "to participate in the exploitation and abuse of children by seeking to view, possess, make or distribute child-abuse or child exploitation material". The real question is whether this really is child-exploitation/abuse: was that act dangerous, risky, selfish or unfair? See for yourself (if you want to risk a criminal record):
http://www.videogum.com/archives/viral-video/everybody-freak-out-about-this_031851.html
If it’s a fake then it’s a very good one. I have to say, some of that one-armed swinging was quite extreme for a baby; I think most people would agree that is shouldn’t have been done. Those flips at the end were also concerning.
What next will the police bust in when your watching The Simpsons and Homer has Bart by the neck, oops shouldnt have said that dont want to be giving OZPLOD any ideas.