"How can there be more investigation/research, what kind of investigation, what kind of research. Experiments involving children and pedophiles?"

The best expertise on how to do the research with rest with others but a couple if examples of areas of research I had in mind.
- A review of changes in identified child sexual assault rates measured against internet takeup and crime rates for other types of crimes. Similar work has been done in Northern Europe and across different parts of the USA for general sexual assault rates. Its also been looked at for rates of violent assault and the release of violent films.
- Looking at patterns of abuse involving identified abusers prior to and after gaining access to the internet. Individual cases won't tell much but broad patterns would.

I'd thought I'd aleady made my concerns about the issue of the use of images of actual children pretty clear, not sure if Paul missed that or chose to ignore it. I think the first point is to gain a better understanding of the actual effect viewing of that porn has on assault rates then look at what should be done from there.

If it did have an effect of reducing assault rates then it becomes and issue of determining what if any advantage can be gained from that knowledge. Would generated images achieve the same benefits (if those benefits do exist)? Keeping in mind that curently cartoon's can lead to prosecution http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Child_pornography_laws_in_Australia

If that sort of option is unthinkable what positive steps would others take to help reduce the risk of actual harm to children? Clearly Harris and others have committed their offenses while significant jail times are a known risk for those offenses. What can we do to treat the causes rather than just try and clean up the mess afterwards?

R0bert

Lester1; Do your best to minimise good old Rolf's, offences, do your best to portray him as a lovable old man with a wobble board, painting funny pics, and singing catchy ditties about Kangaroos and a bloke with 3 legs, if you wish. "Trust British Paints...sure can!" good old Rolf was famous for that line. "Rolf Harris is the victim" NO! others are the victim(s) Rolf Harris is a pedophile, nothing more, nothing less! "Trust Rolf Harris...sure can't!"
Should have Rolf Harris got the maximum 24 years for what he done, seem's not, according to the sentencing Judge 5 years and 9 months is what's appropriate, who is better positioned to determine that sentence, you, me, Ludwig others on this forum, the general public, or the Judge himself?

<< Ludwig, your dissection of the judges findings In my view puts you… …out of step with the general community attitude to Rolf and his punishment, in fact the general outrage may well have been for an even tougher sentence for good old Rolf! So who's out of step? >>

I don’t know, Paul.

It is very hard to say. All I can go by is what I glean from talking to people, both face to face and on OLO. That’s it. I haven’t broached the subject on any other forums or Facebook or over the phone to my relatives on the other side of the country or anything else.

But just judging from those to whom I have spoken, there are many who see it similarly to what I do.

I would suggest that at present it is in vogue to be totally condemning towards Harris and very risky indeed to present my sorts of views. So the general opinion appears to be very strongly against Harris. But ultimately this may prove to be an illusion.

I would like to think that in a month or so, after the shock of it all has died down, a few considered opinion pieces will start to appear in the media that question whether Harris has been fairly dealt with or whether it was all taken too far, and whether he is more a victim than a perpetrator of any really serious wrongdoing. I guess only time will tell.

a google search snap shot
http://www.google.com.au/search?q=rolf+harras&ie=utf-8#Lauren Laverne: How Rolf Harris bit me and got away with itThe Guardian - 1 hour agoIt was partly the media that let the vileness of Rolf Harris and Jimmy Savile go unremarked, but now Twitter can help us keep watch, says ...Lauren Laverne: 'Rolf Harris bit me and it wasn't considered a big deal'The Independent

Rolf Harris, AO, CBE (born 30 March 1930) is an Australian entertainer. He is amusician, singer-songwriter, composer, painter, and former television personality...&#8206;Wobble board - &#8206;Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport - &#8206;Rolf Harris discography#Rolf Harris taken straight to cushy prison despite reports pervert ...www.mirror.co.uk/news/.../rolf-harris-taken-straight-cushy-3885599&#8206;*

Paedophile Rolf Harris went straight to a cushy prison, despite reports he wasgoing to do hard time at a tough jail, reports the Sunday People.#Inside the strange world of Rolf Harris

./inside-strange-world-rolf-harris&#8206;* CachedGuilty on all counts, Your Honour.” So said Rolf Harris, weeping in contrition.#Rolf Harris sentence: UK attorney-general to consider whether Abcwww.abc.net.au/news/2014-07-05/harris-jail...to.../5573998&#8206;*Britain's attorney-general has been asked to consider whether the prisonsentence given to Rolf Harris for sexual offences is too lenient.#Rolf Harris

Rolf Harris, Self: Rolf on Art. Rolf Harris came to London in 1952 to study Art. Ayear later he was appearing on TV as an artist and storyteller and had his first hit...#The final act of Rolf Harris' harrowing courtroom dramawww.smh.com.au/.../the-final-act-of-rolf-harris-harrowing-courtroom-drama-20140705-zsxbi.html5 Jul 2014 ... London: After two months of lead-up, it was a moment of anticlimax.

It was auseful reminder: Rolf Harris might be an entertainer, but this has ...#Rolf Harris to be on suicide watch as he heads to Wandsworth Jail ...www.news.com.au/.../rolf-harris-to.../story-fndir2ev-12269743735122 Jul 2014 ... YESTERDAY he went to bed a revered figure and international star but RolfHarris awoke this morning facing the prospect of dying in jail as a ...#The royal show that unmasked Rolf Harris as a child abuser..The ...www.theaustralian.com.au/

Rolf Harris signs autographs on the grounds of the notorious Broadmoor ... LennyHenry welcomed Rolf Harris to the stage as “The Legend”.#Rolf Harris not the only 'octopus' in entertainment - The Agewww.theage.com.au/.../rolf-harris-not-the-only-octopus-in-entertainment-20140702-zssnl.html1 Rolf Harris was known as “the Octopus”. But he wasn't the only one.

Ludwig, you said <<But just judging from those to whom I have spoken, there are many who see it similarly to what I do>> It may be so, just as there are those that are calling for good old Rolf's blood. Where I'm coming from is my trust in the (British) legal system to deliver justice. None of us, me, you, your friends, my friends etc etc etc are as well placed to determine a fair sentence for good old Rolf as is the judge himself. I am satisfied that not only has justice been done, it has been seen to be done, which is also important. I stress to you that good old Rolf got a sentence which was about 25% of the maximum possible, for any of us to disagree with that sentence is fine as for something worth discussing on a public forum. But no matter what we think is appropriate, we didn't sit in court day after day carefully listening to, and noting the evidence, pouring over previous decisions in similar cases, as did the presiding judge. So who are we to disagree with that judges findings? As there has not been any real signs of community outrage in regards to the judges finding, one way or the other, I can only conclude he has in general met community expectations on the matter.

<< Where I'm coming from is my trust in the (British) legal system to deliver justice. >>

Paul, the system is good. But it isn’t perfect. We should respect it, but not worship it.

As you would know all too well, there are a thousand factors and variables involved in a trial of this nature. There are many factors which the complainants assert which simply cannot be proven, nor confidently shown to have occurred exactly as they were purported to have occurred beyond a reasonable doubt…particularly regarding the consequences of Harris’ actions on the girls in queston.

If the fundamental dictum of ‘inncoent until proven guilty or shown to be guilty beyond a reasonable doubt’ really strictly applied, I would suggest that Harris would not have been found guilty of at least charges 2 and 9, and perhaps received a much lesser sentence regarding charges 3 to 8. Maybe.

I would be a little concerned about this:

<< I am satisfied that not only has justice been done, it has been seen to be done… >>

Justice is seen to be done by whom? By the general public, who have gained their information very largely from the sensationalist media? And who are not privy to the details as presented in court, which were not released to the public until the judge released his sentencing remarks (??)…and which only a tiny percentage of said public would have bothered reading anyway?

This ‘justice-is-seen-to-be-done’ bit is fraught with danger. It may make a judge feel the need to boost the penalty well above what he thinks is fair and reasonable, in order to placate an irate public.…and in order to not be subjected to an appeal for a tougher sentence, and criticism of him for being too lenient, with a concomitant degradation of respect for him, for the process and the whole legal fraternity.

<< I stress to you that good old Rolf got a sentence which was about 25% of the maximum possible… >>

Considerably less than 25% I would think. But the maximum penalties are for the most serious offences.