Warning of cartoon bear creates stir

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - A cartoon bear created as a joke to mock pedophiles has elicited fear among New Mexico officials, and that fear has created quite the stir within the World Wide Web.

Earlier this week the New Mexico Attorney General’s office issued a release after two vehicles were spotted with “Pedobear” stickers on them.

The character is a Japanese Internet cartoon, a “meme,” which was created to mock pedophilia. The bear has been featured in several short humor videos including one done by College Humor which pokes fun of the “Doubt” movie trailer.

The AG’s office was alarmed after those sightings, which they felt could be an indication of increased child sex-offender activity in the Albuquerque area.

According to Gawker a man dressed as Pedobear at a California Comic Con event created a similar stir and prompted the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Department to release a public safety warning to the community in September of 2010.

The local story in New Mexico created a national stir with many viewers from around the country commenting on the story as irresponsible journalism by reporters based on misinformation by the AG’s office.

Like New Mexico, the California story created its own stir, but authorities in both states continue to stand behind the warning, explaining that concern is not out of line given that actual child predators could use the humor as a distraction and possibly victimize children.

On Wednesday Phil Sisneros, communications director for the Attorney General Gary King, posted a blog (see below) standing behind the warning explaining that while the bear did start off as a joke and acknowledging that having a Pedobear sticker or other paraphernalia does not mean someone is a child predator, getting the information out there was important.

And the office maintains that given the subject matter, joking or not, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
 

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From nmago.blogspot.com:

The news release caused quite a commotion amongst Pedobear sympathizers and others who think it was irresponsible for the AG's Office and media to even talk about the potential link to real-life pedophiles..(as opposed to wannabes?).

Even some of the journalists who covered the story were hesitant or scared off the story because a few vocal people were adamant in their claims that the whole Pedobear thing was a big joke that the media and AGO had been duped into reporting about.

Thanks to the media folks who had the courage to report the story, I realize you put your hard-earned credibility on the line. You did the right thing.

Some people thought it would cause a backlash of vigilantism against anyone who displayed a Pedobear sticker or flag or T-shirt.

For the record, of course our investigators know that the Pedobear symbology began as an Internet meme joke, poking fun at pedophiles, and yes, we know that anyone who has the bad taste to display a Pedobear symbol is not necessarily a pedophile...emphasis on the word "necessarily." If you are a parent of a three year old, can you really take a chance?

This is most assuredly NOT fear-mongering by "well meaning government officials," as one journalist seemed to wonder about.

Law enforcement personnel across the country know about Pedobear, they are also concerned.

This is the Attorney General's Office simply trying to make New Mexicans aware that the Pedobear symbol is out there and we think the general public, especially those who are not clued in to today's Internet culture, deserve to know what the Pedobear symbol is about and how it is interpreted by law enforcement.

Individuals can make their own conclusions as to the relative importance of this information. You don't have to drink the Kool-Aid to know what's in it, right?

Lastly, if the Attorney General's Office is lambasted for being too cautious by doing anything and everything we can to help protect children from pedophiles...we're OK with that.