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Published December 01, 2015
"The Pedophile's Guide to Love and Pleasure" is currently not available on Amazon following calls for a boycott of the online retail giant, but the man who wrote the e-book is confident that it will be back.
Meanwhile, pedophiles who are upset that they can't buy Phillip Greaves' e-book will have no trouble finding and purchasing other books that advocate sexual relations with children, an online search reveals.
Greaves, a 47-year-old retired nurse's aide in Pueblo, Colo., said Thursday that nearly 300 copies of his self-published e-book were sold on Amazon.com's Kindle Store in the past day, prior to its disappearance from the site. He said he also received more than 3,000 complaints about the $4.79 e-book, which seeks to make "pedophile situations safer for those juveniles that find themselves involved in them," according to the product description that was posted while the book was available for sale.
Greaves, in an interview with FoxNews.com on Thursday, said he does not promote pedophilia, but that it "is something that I have sympathy for because of my own childhood."
He said he was exposed to sex when he was 7 years old. "I was not molested, but I was exposed to sex at an early age … Sometimes those relationships are positive. No, I do not advocate pedophilia. I just feel that I understand it."
He said he was "very impressed" that Amazon initially stood by its decision to sell the title, and he is now waiting for it to be reviewed by the online retailer.
"They're re-reviewing it," said Greaves. (Amazon did not reply to numerous requests for comment on whether it has discontinued selling the e-book and whether it is reviewing its content.)
Greaves added that in the wake of a spike in sales and the controversy surrounding his e-book, he now wants to try his luck at penning a full-length novel. "It may include some [pedophilia-related material], but it's not going to be the primary focus," he said.
Pueblo Police Chief James Billings told FoxNews.com late Thursday that his department will conduct a "cursory review" of Greaves' material.
"We have no indication that a crime has been committed," Billings said. "But we are looking at the situation to have a better understanding of what this book is all about and to see if there's something we should be concerned about."
Meanwhile, consumers searching for other pedophilia-related titles will not suffer from a shortage of material, a quick search reveals.
Titles like "Diary of a Pedophile," "Father Pedophile," "The 'Pedophile' Sham: Undermining the Torah Matrix" and "Fun With Pedophiles, The Best of Baiting" were readily available on Borders.com, BarnesandNoble.com or Amazon.com as of early Thursday, less than a day after Amazon apparently removed Greaves' title.
"The 'Pedophile' Sham: Undermining the Torah Matrix," was offered for sale on Amazon in paperback and hardcover versions, and on BarnesandNoble.com in paperback.
Its product description reads: "In The 'Pedophile' Sham, author Arthur S. Joseph dares to defy the common notions and beliefs regarding pedophilia. With convincing authority and no punches pulled, Joseph explains why every normal being should proudly be a pedophile -- yes, proudly. Along with the Torah and kabalistic insights, The 'Pedophile' Sham is the only source of enlightenment that establishes new definitions for the entire family."
Joseph, of Los Angeles, recently retired from a successful career as a dentist and served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War, according to the Amazon.com listing. Attempts to reach Joseph were not successful, but Keith Ogorek, senior vice president of marketing for Author Solutions, which owns AuthorHouse, the publisher of the book, said the company had not received a single complaint related to the book.
While the book does use the word "pedophile," Ogorek said Joseph used the term to be "provocative" and was not advocating any kind of sexual relationship between minors and adults.
"It's a book really more about etymology," Ogorek said, referring to how the meaning of pedophile has changed over time. "You may disagree with his evaluation, but he is clearly not advocating any sexual relationship between an adult and a child. He's advocating for healthy relationships between adults and children."
At BarnesandNoble.com, consumers can purchase titles like "Fun With Pedophiles, The Best of Baiting" by Doug Stanhope for as little as $10.65. The 104-page paperback was published in late 2006 by Shake the Baby Press, according to the listing.
At Borders.com, shoppers can purchase T.J. Davis' "Diary of a Pedophile" for $14.95. The 2003 paperback is currently on back order, according to the listing, but buyers can expect delivery within eight weeks.
Calls to Amazon and Barnes & Noble seeking comment were not returned on Thursday. A spokeswoman for Borders said she would look into the matter.
Kelly Saindon, a Chicago-based family law attorney and former prosecutor, told Fox News she found it problematic that Amazon.com had offered "offensive" titles like "The Pedophile's Guide to Love and Pleasure."
"I know they're sitting on their First Amendment rights, saying they have a right to do so, but your First Amendment rights end when they infringe upon mine," she said. "And what about the rights of the children that pedophiles attack? Who's looking out for them?"
On Wednesday, Amazon initially stood by its decision to sell the e-book. But later in the day, the link to the e-book was no longer functioning.
"Amazon believes it is censorship not to sell certain books simply because we or others believe their message is objectionable," the company said in a statement to TechCrunch.com. "Amazon does not support or promote hatred or criminal acts, however, we do support the right of every individual to make their own purchasing decisions."
https://www.foxnews.com/us/pedophile-guide-author-confident-e-book-will-be-back-on-amazon