---
title: "MIT Scientist Says He Doesn’t Think Pedophilia Is Okay Any More"
description: "MIT scientist Richard Stallman backpedaled his statements on the Jeffrey Epstein debacle, clarifying that adults shouldn't have sex with kids."
date: "2019-09-16"
modified: "2019-09-16"
authors:
  - name: "Dan Robitzski"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/danrobitzski.md"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/mit-scientist-stallman-pedophilia"
categories:
  - "Future Society"
tags:
  - "jeffrey epstein"
  - "mit"
  - "richard stallman"
  - "the digest"
---

# MIT Scientist Says He Doesn’t Think Pedophilia Is Okay Any More

![MIT scientist Richard Stallman backpedaled his statements on the Jeffrey Epstein debacle, clarifying that adults shouldn't have sex with kids.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/mit-scientist-pedophilia.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: Anders Brenna \</em\>*

## Take Two

Prominent MIT computer scientist Richard Stallman shared a bold opinion on Saturday: perhaps adults shouldn't have sex with children.

Stallman got widely roasted last week when he [made some appalling comments](<https://futurism.com/richard-stallman-epstein-scandal.md>) about Jeffrey Epstein's sex crimes, suggesting that the financier's victims somehow consented to the sex trafficking scheme. But now, in the face of near-universal backlash — and scrutiny of even worse comments he's made in the past — the storied programmer and activist is walking it back.

## Are You Kidding

Stallman's nasty comments last week drew attention to some even more appalling stuff he said back in the mid-2000s. In [one 2003 post](<https://stallman.org/archives/2003-may-aug.html>), the famed coder even wrote that "everyone age 14 or above ought to take part in sex, though not indiscriminately."

Sickeningly, he also opined that some kids "are ready earlier."

## Stop Posting

But on Saturday, Stallman [posted on his personal webpage](<https://stallman.org/archives/2019-jul-oct.html#14_September_2019_(Sex_between_an_adult_and_a_child_is_wrong)>) that he'd changed his mind.

"Many years ago I posted that I could not see anything wrong about sex between an adult and a child, if the child accepted it," Stallman wrote. "Through personal conversations in recent years, I've learned to understand how sex with a child can harm per psychologically. This changed my mind about the matter: I think adults should not do that. I am grateful for the conversations that enabled me to understand why."

Stallman also posted a [second bizarre statement](<https://stallman.org/archives/2019-jul-oct.html#14_September_2019_(Statements_about_Epstein)>) on Saturday, pushing back against media coverage that he had defended Epstein.

**More on Richard Stallman:** *[MIT Community Horrified by Famed Researcher’s Epstein Outburst](<https://futurism.com/richard-stallman-epstein-scandal.md>)*

## Author
Dan Robitzki is a senior reporter for Futurism, where he likes to cover AI, tech ethics, and medicine. He spends his extra time fencing and streaming games from Los Angeles, California.

### Author social links  
[Twitter](<https://x.com/danrobitzski>)

## More

- [MIT Researcher Who Defended Sex With Children Resigns](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/mit-researcher-stallman-defended-sex-children-resigns.md>)
- [MIT Community Horrified by Famed Researcher’s Epstein Outburst](<https://futurism.com/richard-stallman-epstein-scandal.md>)
- [Scientist Who Defended Epstein and Pedophilia Reinstated to Free Software Foundation Board](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/scientist-defended-epstein-pedophilia-reinstated-free-software-foundation-board.md>)
- [MIT Suspends Another Professor for Epstein Ties](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/mit-suspends-professor-epstein-ties.md>)
- [Bizarre MIT Meeting About Jeffrey Epstein Ends In Tears, Yelling](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/mit-jeffrey-epstein-meeting.md>)
- [MIT Media Lab Hid Donations From Sex Offender Jeffrey Epstein](<https://futurism.com/mit-hid-jeffrey-epstein-donations.md>)
- [Bill Gates Associate Says He Fainted When Epstein Connection Was Revealed](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/bill-gates-fainted-epstein-connection.md>)
- [Head of NASA Says Musk’s Instability Is Okay Because He Doesn’t Really Run SpaceX](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/bill-nelson-nasa-musk-instability.md>)