Johns Hopkins Prof Says Attraction to Minors Isn’t Immoral

Criminal justice professor caught making sympathetic comments about pedophiles in the past.

QUICK FACTS:
  • Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore has hired a criminal justice professor who says that attraction to minors is not immoral, The Washington Examiner reports.
  • The Moore Center for the Prevention of Child Sex Abuse at Johns Hopkins University announced Allyn Walker’s employe, saying he will work as a postdoctoral fellow beginning on May 25.
  • The professor previously resigned from his position at Virginia-based Old Dominion University after his comments about the nature of pedophilia went viral.
  • “I want to be extremely clear that child sex abuse is never ever OK,” Walker said in the video. “But having an attraction to minors doesn’t mean the person having those attractions is doing something wrong.”
JOHNS HOPKINS PROFESSOR’S HISTORY:
  • Walker, who wrote a book titled A Long, Dark Shadow: Minor-Attracted People and Their Pursuit of Dignity, openly identifies as nonbinary and has frequently referenced pedophiles as “minor-attracted persons” in his work.
  • At the time Walker’s statements went viral, he told The Washington Examiner,  “I want to be clear: Child sexual abuse is an inexcusable crime. As an assistant professor of sociology and criminal justice, the goal of my research is to prevent crime.”
  • “My work is informed by my past experience and advocacy as a social worker counseling victims,” Walker went on to say. “I embarked on this research in hopes of gaining understanding of a group that, previously, has not been studied in order to identify ways to protect children.”
BACKGROUND:
  • The Moore Center, where Walker will be working, said that its motto is “change the way the world thinks about child sexual abuse, from inevitable to preventable.” The group also said they’re “excited” to announce Walker’s hiring in a series of tweets.
  • “Allyn Walker is a leader in the field of perpetration prevention research, which is essential for developing a comprehensive public health approach to addressing child sexual abuse and effective prevention programs,” the center said. “We are delighted to have Allyn Walker join our team.”

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