John Hopkins Center for Prevention of Child Sex Abuse Hires Professor Fired for Defending Pedophiles

A disgraced pedophile-defending professor and author has been hired by Johns Hopkins to work in the child sex abuse center. Allyn Walker, a non-binary author who defended pedophiles as “minor attracted persons,” was forced to resign from Old Dominion in November after an interview with Prostasia, a group that advocates to destigmatize pedophiles.

Walker is slated to begin work as a postdoctoral fellow at the storied Baltimore university beginning on May 24, and will be working to prevent child sex abuse.

“We are excited to share that Allyn Walker, PhD, will be joining the Moore Center as a postdoctoral fellow on May 25,” the Moore Center for Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse said in a statement.

There was substantial online outrage after Moore made the announcement.

The Moore Center for Prevention of Child Sex Abuse is “a research center that  creates, through rigorous science, a public health approach to preventing child sexual abuse.”

Walker claimed in the Prostasia interview that trying to help pedophiles not be “minor attracted” would be akin to “conversion therapy,” which Walker said is “not at all effective.” The claim was that there is a difference between sex offenders and pedophiles, and that pedophilia is not immoral in and of itself, but only if the “minor attracted person” acts on those feelings.

After Walker’s views became known, and the book Walker penned, A Long Dark Shadow: Minor Attracted People and Their Pursuit of Dignity, was published, Old Dominion at first released a statement in support of Walker, but then was placed on leave.

“Reactions to Dr. Walker’s research and book have led to concerns for their safety and that of the campus. Furthermore, the controversy over Dr. Walker’s research has disrupted the campus and community environment and is interfering with the institution’s mission of teaching and learning,” Old Dominion said in November.

Old Dominion President Brian O. Hemphill said “I want to state in the strongest terms possible that child sexual abuse is morally wrong and has no place in our society. This is a challenging time for our University, but I am confident that we will come together and move forward as a Monarch family.”

Walker later resigned, and the university accepted Walker’s resignation. Walker and Old Dominion released a joint statement, saying: “Today, old Dominion University and Dr. Allyn Walker are announcing that Dr. Walker has decided to step down from their position as assistant professor of sociology and criminal justice at the expiration of their current contract in May 2022. Dr. Walker will remain on leave until that time.”

Walker claimed that their research into pedophiles was “mischaracterized by some in the media and online, partly on the basis of my trans identity.”

“As a result,” Walker said, “multiple threats were made against me and the campus community generally.”