Moral Panic Begone

A US task force has discovered that the threat to children from online sexual predators is nominal at best. Another blow to Conroy's idea that the internet's real world equivalent is a dark back alley full of armed, crack-pushing pedophiles with huge erections.

The New York Times article is a bit more detailed. Richard Blumenthal, the Connecticut attorney general, dismissed the report thus:
(The report) “downplayed the predator threat,” relied on outdated research and failed to provide a specific plan for improving the safety of social networking.

“Children are solicited every day online,” Mr. Blumenthal said. “Some fall prey, and the results are tragic. That harsh reality defies the statistical academic research underlying the report.”

So, what he's saying is that the report doesn't support his fear campaign. The bog-standard dismissal of non-supporting data as based on nasty statistics and research looks like the usual trick to keep the voters frightened.