godwin
09-13-2010, 12:57 AM
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/7999257/Police-issue-warning-about-Pedo-bear.html
Police issue warning about 'Pedo bear'
Police in California have issued a warning about the “Pedo bear”, a computer character created as an internet joke.
Published: 9:28AM BST 13 Sep 2010
Pedobear was devised by members of the 4chan message board as a way of mocking users who expressed a sexual interest in children.
Since then a tasteless internet trend – or meme – has emerged in which users insert the bear into other photos in a contest to create the most inappropriate composite image.
Web surfers also post images of the cartoon bear beside comments about children found on websites as a tongue in cheek suggestion that the originator of the comments could be perceived as a paedophile.
According to users of 4chan it became shorthand for saying that a user was saying slightly strange things about children, even although the meaning was in no way related to paedophilia.
Some internet users took the joke further by dressing up as a bear at computer conventions.
However, southern California police appear to have missed the joke.
At one convention of IT enthusiasts the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Department issued a notice warning parents about a man dressed as a bear.
The public safety notice said: "The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Department is warning parents about a disturbing new phenomenon made popular by pedophiles and sexual deviants.
"The Pedo Bear began as an online Japanese cartoon character, and is known for his "lecherous nature" towards prepubescent children.
"Recently, pedophiles have adopted the bear as a mascot.
"Although there have been no reported sightings of the image on the Central Coast, individuals dressed in the bear costume and car decals have been seen in Southern California.
It remains unclear whether the warning was intended to be taken seriously.
Police issue warning about 'Pedo bear'
Police in California have issued a warning about the “Pedo bear”, a computer character created as an internet joke.
Published: 9:28AM BST 13 Sep 2010
Pedobear was devised by members of the 4chan message board as a way of mocking users who expressed a sexual interest in children.
Since then a tasteless internet trend – or meme – has emerged in which users insert the bear into other photos in a contest to create the most inappropriate composite image.
Web surfers also post images of the cartoon bear beside comments about children found on websites as a tongue in cheek suggestion that the originator of the comments could be perceived as a paedophile.
According to users of 4chan it became shorthand for saying that a user was saying slightly strange things about children, even although the meaning was in no way related to paedophilia.
Some internet users took the joke further by dressing up as a bear at computer conventions.
However, southern California police appear to have missed the joke.
At one convention of IT enthusiasts the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Department issued a notice warning parents about a man dressed as a bear.
The public safety notice said: "The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Department is warning parents about a disturbing new phenomenon made popular by pedophiles and sexual deviants.
"The Pedo Bear began as an online Japanese cartoon character, and is known for his "lecherous nature" towards prepubescent children.
"Recently, pedophiles have adopted the bear as a mascot.
"Although there have been no reported sightings of the image on the Central Coast, individuals dressed in the bear costume and car decals have been seen in Southern California.
It remains unclear whether the warning was intended to be taken seriously.