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All Images Removed Due to Child Protection Concerns

It has come to my attention that this blog is being found in Google by people with the very worst of intentions.

Through Blogger I am able to see the search terms that people have used to find this blog, and there are some that give me cause for concern. Unfortunately, it seems that there are a combination of search terms that are leading people who wish to harm children to find this site.

Two comments have been left on the blog by such people. They are not publishable. 

At the moment, I have no idea of whether this is just one or two individuals, or more. I have contacted the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre.

This blog has, as I hope you know, the very best of intentions, and is run by a person who has extensive professional experience of working with both adults and children who have experienced abuse. I recognise that we cannot always control the way certain images are viewed, and that the internet is full of perfectly innocent pictures that could be seen very differently in the wrong hands. However, because of the fact that it seems that an individual or individuals are finding this blog when they are searching the internet with ill intent, I have removed all images of children from this site.

I have also removed both breastfeeding galleries completely. 

I am deeply saddened by this, as I know that the images, both of positive birth, and of extended nursing, have been immensely helpful to people.

Please share your thoughts with me on this matter.


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Comments

  1. Sarahmumof35 February 2012 at 04:38

    such a terrible shame :( I have heard of other bloggers seeing unnerving search terms leading people to their blog and doing simular and removing their photos :( it makes me very sad. I love photos, I love looking at photos, capturing moments and sharing them with others. I don't know the answers when things like this happen and I hope you can work something out x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The Mule5 February 2012 at 04:40

      thank you Sarah. i am mulling it over... it's very sad.

      Delete
  2. Kendra5 February 2012 at 08:23

    Breastfeeding fetishes have no impact on child pronography. No children are harmed in the creation of the images. The images are not inherently sexul. It is the viewers fetish that is sexual NOT THE IMAGE.
    People have foot fetishes, hand fetishes, hair fetishes, all types of fetishes and yes even breastfeeding fetishes. There is nothing you can do about how someone rose chooses to use a non pornographic image. Frankly your statement of "concern" is so poorly thought out, immature, and reactionary as to be offensive.
    Pubilc breastfeeding is already looked down upon as being "sexual". Your concern only helps validate that idea. With so many sexual fetishes and preferences abounding do you think shoe stores should stop showing images of children wearing shoes lest they provoke lust or be used as pornography? Should manufacturers of children's hair care products and hair bows or baretts stop using photos of child models? Or perhaps barber/beauty shops should have no images of children to prevent their use by one with a hair fetish? Should images of child and infant hands be banned lest some one use them as kiddie porn? Breastfeeding is not sexual. Some else's fantasy is no reason for your "trigger happy" response.
    You are fearmongering. You could be preventing a mother form nursing her baby. You are a part of the problem.

    PS
    The fact that you would report this to the child exploitation center shows a lack of understanding and mental differentiation on what abuse is on you part. So let me make this clear child pornography harms children for the sexual pleasure of others. The images contain overt nudity (usually of a sexual nature) and or children performing or recieving sexual acts. They may also contain no nudity but show images of children in sexual situations.
    No matter how you slice it for it to be kiddie porn a child must suffer in some way. If no child is harmed... and i think eating it the healthies way possible for an infant is the furthest thing from harm... then it is not porn.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The Mule6 February 2012 at 14:12

      Kendra, I think you have got the wrong end of the stick here...this is not about breastfeeding images per se. It HAS come to my attention that there are those who are looking at breastfeeding images in a sexual way and that there are people looking in google for such images and finding their way to this blog. However, this is not the main reason I have pulled ALL images from the blog. The main reason is a comment left of an extremely disturbing nature that led me to believe that someone who wishes to harm children is visiting this blog.
      I'm not sure whether I haven't explained myself properly or whether you just haven't read what I have written properly. From your attitude, I suspect the latter. I find your comment pretty aggressive it its tone, and i think that this is a strange line to take with someone who has clearly stated that they are taking a difficult decision and are trying to do the right thing.
      I do understand fully the definition of abuse and child protection, having worked in this field. I reported the comment that was left on my blog as I sincerely hope that they might have a way of tracing the commenter and investigating them, since they stated quite clearly to me that they pose a threat to children.
      I think that you yourself are quite confused about - as you call it 'kiddie porn'. First off, it is totally wrong to use the term pornography when describing child abuse images. Any professional will tell you that. Second, we are not talking about child abuse images here. No one is suggesting that breastfeeding images are images of child abuse. How you arrived in that place is a mystery to me. However, if someone with ill intent is having access to ANY images of children, nursing or otherwise, we need to exercise caution and err on the side of it.
      A child IS harmed if an innocent image of them is viewed in a sexual way by someone, or worse still, copied, circulated, doctored etc. Even if that child does not know that this has happened, this does not mean that they are not abused by this action.
      Many people had entrusted me with images of themselves with their children and I felt I had a duty towards them as well as to my own.
      Best wishes, and please take a deep breath before launching into any more accusatory or aggressive comments, I have done this one the justice of an extensive answer, but I won't publish the next one!

      Delete
    2. Anonymous4 July 2012 at 14:30

      Kendra,

      "Frankly your statement of "concern" is so poorly thought out, immature, and reactionary as to be offensive"

      How ironic. Your statement also applies to your brash response. You are shockingly rude!

      I sincerely doubt that by the blogger removing images she is stopping women from breast feeding. You on the other hand probably might scare people away with your aggresive demeanour.

      I came on this website via another blog, and I have been having issues with breastfeeding since I am back to work. I think that it is wonderful that this blogger cares about what can be done with the images of children on her site. I feel more comfortable with her than with someone like you yelling (because that's how you come across).

      Just my 2 cents.

      And blogger again my apologies for ranting on here. I am a child abuse survivor and it absolutely rattles my cage when people invalidate the feelings of other people and push their own agenda.

      *Danielle*

      Delete
  3. L5 February 2012 at 13:36

    It is so sad. I'm so sorry. I too found the bf stuff very interesting and helpful - as you know, despite my feminista sista self I struggle with feeling normal about BF post a year. I agree, I love photos on blogs. X

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The Mule6 February 2012 at 14:13

      Thank you L. I feel very sad to have removed them as they were so beautiful and I know they were helpful to people. But what was the choice in this situation...? :-(

      Delete
  4. Jackie6 February 2012 at 13:16

    I know that last year there were some breastfeeding groups who were involuntarily removed from Facebook because their pics were considered obscene by a few extremists (or whomever). But, the breastfeeding advocates stood firm and kept fighting it and finding ways to reach those of us who feel the need for the support they offered, with pictures.

    I don't know what terrible messages you received on this blog. But I'm wondering if you could keep using pictures which do not give away individual's identities?

    Hope my thoughts help.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The Mule6 February 2012 at 14:14

      Thank you Jackie. I do think that pictures are a great help.
      I will think over your thoughts.
      Thank you again.

      Delete
  5. Jackie7 February 2012 at 00:59

    Synchronicity. I just found out there is a global protest happening today outside of Facebook offices, asking for answers to why Facebook says it supports a woman's right to feed her baby yet continually pulls down breastfeeding pictures, and also closes down pages, because of 'indecency'.

    Not quite about child abuse, yet this does indicate the need to address issues surrounding the 'normalcy' vs 'indecency' of breastfeeding in public places.

    Thank you for the important work you are doing.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Kristi7 February 2012 at 12:56

    I have just started visiting your site. All I know is that when people are using the internet to look up obscene things, they'll find it somewhere. Even if it's not on your site, they're still going to get it. They know how to find it. I suppose you could always share links to sites that still share breastfeeding photos. I would imagine mamas could find them elsewhere if needed. So, if you feel that it's right for you not to share those images, then that's great. If you feel like you need to share those images, then great. It wasn't really the pictures that attracted me here, it was the content. I didn't even know you had a breastfeeding gallery yet, since I'm so new.

    ReplyDelete

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