Pedophiles Start Political Party

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands (AP) - June 1, 2006 -- Several self-avowed pedophiles founded a political party in the Netherlands and plan to endorse broadcasting pornographic material on daytime television and allowing children as young as 12 to feature in porn films.

The Charity, Freedom and Diversity party said Wednesday its central campaign platform will be lowering the age of consent in the Netherlands from 16 to 12.

"Forbidding children from sex only makes them more curious," party president Martijn Uittenbogaard told The Associated Press.

Uittenbogaard said his new party had supporters from "all corners of the country" but acknowledged Wednesday's launch had been marked by poor attendance. Reports said the launch in the city of Leiden was only attended by people from the media.

Uittenbogaard declined to give membership figures. The party still has to register with the government to be recognized as a political party.

He acknowledged his ideas are loathed by most Dutch people.

"A lot of people are against us and that's not strange but that doesn't worry us very much because we know we also have a lot of support," he said.

Pollster Maurice de Hond dismissed the Netherlands' newest political arrival. "No one will vote for this party. Maybe they will get a thousand voters but not the 60,000 needed to get a parliamentary seat," he said.

Uittenbogaard said he had been a pedophile activist for many years.

Party secretary Norbert de Jonge told local media that he had been a target of hate e-mails and phone calls since Tuesday.

"They think its a joke but we're dead serious," he said.

(Copyright 2006 by the Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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