Firstly, thank you for coming to this website to find out more. Whether this news has made you panic or made you thoughtful, we can hopefully give you some perspective on the secret you now know.
There are many ways people find out someone they know is a pedophile.
Sometimes they are told by the person; sometimes they find out; sometimes they suspect but cannot be sure.
Each situation is unique. Your best next step will depend on who the person is, how you found out, what your relationship is with this person, your own feelings and who else is involved.
Knowing or strongly suspecting that someone you know is a pedophile can feel like dangerous knowledge. It may feel scary. It may feel like a big responsibility. However, many people before you have been through this. Many eventually feel glad that the secret was not kept forever.
We are working on some more detailed guidance for friends and family. Meanwhile, the Canadian organisation TalkingforChange has published a useful page on What to do when someone tells you they have a sexual attraction to children
. It is well worth checking out.
Our forum is a peer-support community. We help pedophiles anonymously and honestly discuss their experiences and feelings. We don’t allow image sharing, justification of adult-child sexual contact or encouragement of illegal behavior. Moderators enforce these rules. All posts are written in English.