Pagent mother upset her child exploited

On Tuesday the local news had a story about a mother who found out a photo of her young daughter, that had been posted on a reality television show website, showed up on a adult website. She called law enforcement and was told the posting and the disgusting message with it was not illegal. I probably would have more sympathy for the mother but the reality show she and her daughter was on was “Toddlers & Tiaras.” The story and the mother’s reaction is full of irony.

A mother said Tuesday that law enforcement officials told her that an unidentified man posted a picture of her daughter on an adult Web site.

Lori Mathews said that a man posted online that he performed a sex act while looking a the picture of her 9-year-old daughter, Alaska Mathews, 10TV’s Tanisha Mallett reported.

The picture of Alaska Mathews, who was featured on the TLC network show “Toddlers & Tiaras,” was lifted from the show’s Web site.

“It’s gross and it is sick and it’s about a child,” Mathews said.

Mathews said that law enforcement officials told her that what the man posted on the adult Web site was not illegal.

Mathews said that she wanted to change that, Mallett reported.

“If there isn’t a law about it, there needs to be one,” Mathews said.

Mother Says Man Performed Sex Act While Looking At Picture Of Her 9-Year-Old Daughter (there is news video of the story at the link)

Setting aside the rather misleading headline of the story, I just thought the whole situation was full of irony.

A mother who uses her daughter’s sexuality to win child pageants draws a line at someone using her daughter’s sexuality for their own ends?

Don’t get me wrong I’m NOT blaming the mother for the actions of the sicko who posted the message, but I think it’s absurd that the mother doesn’t see the irony in her outrage. I think exploiting children’s sexuality for any reason is wrong.

Personally, I think that child pageants, like those shown on “Toddlers & Tiaras” is child abuse.

I was also troubled the mother wants to make what happened illegal. The picture posted wasn’t sexual although the message was, but why should that be illegal if nothing physical happened. There is already plenty of laws to protect children from being exploited – although child pageants are exempt.

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