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Jack Purdy's avatar

When I worked for the DC office of a global PR firm, we handled publicity for the Alger Award. One year, it was given to Paul Bremer, former viceroy of Iraq. I had to do a phone interview with him. I spent the entire call wanting to ask him why he’d thought disbanding the Iraqi Army was a good idea. But I didn’t, because I liked having a job.

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Michael's avatar

I think you mean to reference Alger as a possible "hebephile" rather than pedophile. Apparently his one documented instance included a 13 and 15 year old. This is a phase of adolescence, so as you are a writer, and presumably a lover of words and meaning, you may want to address your term of "pedophile" to the correct term "hebophile". This same error was applied by journalists towards Epstein. I am not emphasizing this as a way to take focus from a sexual deviation in Ager's, but to correct how writers/authors/journalists take on this term.

Personally, I think a pedophile is a greater transgression - and evil. The hebophle is also problematic, immoral and illegal, yet not exactly the same thing. The distinction being a child (pre pubscent) vs adolescent.

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