[News] Police issue paedophile warning over 'Pedobear' internet joke

[ZeroHour]

Police in the US have issued a bizarre warning to parents about a ‘paedophile’ cartoon bear that was created by a website as in internet joke.
Pedobear was created on 4chan, a chaotic, largely unregulated network of messageboards which has spawned some of the internet’s most famous virals and jokes.
It is used by some users to mock people in internet chat rooms by suggesting that they are paedophiles or have said something slightly inappropriate about children.
Now police in San Luis Obispo in California appear to have misunderstood the internet trend – or meme - and have warned parents that the Pedobear is being used by real paedophiles as a ‘mascot’.
In a po-faced newsletter that has made them the laughing stock of the internet, the Sheriff’s department has warned parents that some paedophiles are even dressing as the bear to signal their intentions.

Source: Daily Mail

[localzuk]

Oh dear. That is some poor research!

[Hightower]

I can't 'bear' to hear news like that!

[Hightower]

Oh dear. That is some poor research!

Or, "Oh dear. That is some pooh research!"

[zag]

Massive lol at that one.

[witch]

They should stop grizzling

[Hightower]

It's furry bad news indeed!

[ICT_GUY]

Seriously, some poor kids is going to get put on the sex offenders register for having one of those. Remember those Lisa Simpson sex cartoons from a few years back? Having them makes your a pedo you know, people have been successfully prosecuted in this country for that.

[tech_guy]

I'm sat here thinking - is this suitable in an open forum - shouldn't it be behind the red door or wherever?

[localzuk]

Seriously, some poor kids is going to get put on the sex offenders register for having one of those. Remember those Lisa Simpson sex cartoons from a few years back? Having them makes your a pedo you know, people have been successfully prosecuted in this country for that.

For a pedobear? As it is entirely non-sexual except for whatever comment is left by the person, how would it be a) illegal or b) worthy of sex offenders register?

[ICT_GUY]

I really dont have much faith in the judiciary being rational about anything ever.