If you’ve been following the news over the past week, you may have heard about the international manhunt for porn actor Luka Rocco Magnotta, accused of killing and dismembering a man in Canada. Magnotta was arrested on Monday in a Berlin Internet café after a graphic video surfaced on the Internet, which features a man (who authorities believe is Magnotta) killing another man, dismembering the corpse and performing sexual acts (as reported by CNN).
Magnotta has previously garnered attention as a gay porn actor, specializing in graphic and violent pornography, often changing his name and appearance with a chameleon-like quality. He was also notorious among animal rights activists for his use of cat carcasses in sexual acts. Magnotta also posted a number of videos of kittens being killed by suffocating and drowning.
By now, you may be wondering why I am delving into a world of content that sounds so hideous and graphic. Well, for one, it’s important that, as parents, you understand that this content is out there, and if you aren’t using strong filters on your computer, then it just takes a moment to encounter it. Secondly, kids are curious, and word about confusing and niche content spreads quickly. You would be surprised at the number of kids 12 and under that I’ve spoken with that have delved into the world of violent, snuff and fetish pornography. If you find that your child has been looking at this type of material then it’s important that you have a conversation with them to help them understand the harms of this type of material. Finally, I’ve also been made aware of a number of cases where kids have watched violent sexual content involving animals and other niche content online and, as a result, they have acted out similar scenarios offline.
No child is above encountering or investigating this content online, and so it’s your job as a parent to ensure that you are using the necessary protections to prevent access to violent and extreme pornographic content. We highly recommend using parental controls, like SafeEyes or a filter and accountability software program like our X3watchPRO. We also have a number of resources for parents on our site and a workbook about pornography for parents that I hope you will check out today.