Is it OK to contact children I find attractive?
You should avoid contacting children you are having sexual thoughts or feelings about.
If you do contact a child that you are attracted to, there’s a risk that you will act on your impulses and do something illegal that could violate, harm, or traumatize them—even if you don’t want to.
The Internet may feel like a safe place, where you can get in touch with people you’re attracted to. Forming 'friendships' with minors may in itself seem innocent. However, as your relationship with a child develops online, you can quickly confuse your own sexual fantasies and needs with the child’s need for security and friendship. If you contact children online who turn you on, you’re at a great risk of reinforcing your own sexual feelings for the child and ultimately acting on them.
Four things you should avoid doing:
- Avoid contacting children you find attractive
- Don’t encourage children to chat or talk about sexual things
- Never involve children in sexual activities
- Never ask children to show intimate pictures or display sexual behavior