An oldish man, I'd say he would be in the 45-55 year old range, invites a young 13 year old girl to his studio. We're not exactly sure what the conversations that take place between these two are, but we do know that the 13 year old girl ends up taking off her clothes and posing for naked photographs in front of this old man.

Don't be outraged, don't be disgusted, because this is ok in 2008. It's just art. You see after this old man takes these photos he is smart. He doesn't post them on illegal child porn websites but rather he gets them placed on the walls of a respectable art gallery. Every day people go into this gallery and look at the photos. Then he gets the Classification Board to rate his photos as PG...


In case you don't know what I'm referring to here, it's the controversy surrounding "artist" Bill Henson. Click here to read a news story on the latest developments. He is an old man who took photos of naked 13 year old girls and then published them in a series of photos. The artistic community - who I had some respect for but now seem to have lost all credibility - think that this is an ok situation because the final context in which the photos are shown is art which speaks of the child's vulnerability. When Kevin Rudd saw the pictures he said they were disgusting! He was right. Context does not justify all actions. Some are wrong in any context. We live in a society that takes a hard-line against paedophiles, and rightly so! Time for some consistency! Naked pictures of 13 year old girls are not ok in any context or circumstance!

Also, back to Kevin Rudd on this issue. He is quoted as saying this (see below) when standing by his statements that the pictures were disgusting:

"I ... said what my views are as a parent, I don't budge from that. But I'm not about to go around and start dictating to the legal authorities what they should or should not do," Mr Rudd told the Nine Network.

"Organisations like that are at arm's length from politicians. It's a matter for those bodies independently, including the legal authorities, to evaluate these matters and reach their own determination."

Kevin, come on. That is a cop out and it doesn't even make sense. You are the leader of the parliament. The Parliament is the sovereign law making body in the land. Its your job to make laws that the legal authorities go and enforce. You can make any law you like as long as it doesn't infringe the Constitution! I'm pretty sure making all 'disgusting' photos of girls and boys under the age of 18 completely illegal doesn't contravene the Constitution. So get some guts mate! Start making some hard calls and put the ultra left wing, naked 13 year olds is ok people back in their box.