Pedophilia

Did Pope Francis say that pedophiles have a special place in heaven? No, that's not true: There is no record of Pope Francis saying that, as an article in NewsPunch claims. Other quotes in this article are real quotes from the pope that were taken out of context and their meaning reversed. The article was published by NewsPunch on February…

Does a video featuring actor Tom Hanks prove he is linked to a Hollywood child trafficking conspiracy? No, that's not true: The video is a clip of Hanks acting in a skit that aired on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" in 2011. The social media account that made the claim describes itself as satirical. The claim appeared on Instagram on January 4,…

Did the World Economic Forum declare, as part of a purported campaign to promote public acceptance of pedophilia, that "pedophiles will save humanity"? No, that's not true: No credible evidence exists that the WEF has made any such statement. The website on which this claim appeared has a reputation for publishing fabricated and inaccurate content. The claim appeared in a…

Does a video of a congressional hearing show a Democratic congresswoman from California saying she believes pedophilia is an identity and not a crime? No, that's not true: Katie Porter's remarks were about the use of false narratives on social media that label LGBTQ individuals as pedophiles because of their gender identity or sexual orientation. The claim appeared in a…

Did Mel Gibson say he wants to "expose the truth about the corrupted elites" on his official Telegram account? No, that's not true: "It's fake," Gibson's representative told Lead Stories about a purported quote from the actor. Gibson does not have a Telegram account, the representative said. The claim appeared on Facebook on December 13, 2022. It opened: Mel Gibson…

Did California approve a Senate bill "this week" in December 2022 that "legalizes pedophilia"? No, that's not true: Senate Bill 145 passed in California in 2020, not 2022, and it's intended to protect LGBTQ minors from discriminatory laws, not to be "pro-pedophilia." It only applies to people who are convicted, so it doesn't legalize actions that were illegal before, as…

Is the Progress Pride flag being used to represent pedophilia and pedophiles? No, that's not true: According to its designer, the flag was created to be more inclusive of those who identify as LGBTQ. There is no indication that the flag has been widely used other that in this context. The claim was made in an Instagram post published on…

Are these posts proof that British elementary school students and kindergarteners are being taught to tolerate sexual abuse? No, that's not true: There's no evidence to authenticate pictures of a brochure about strangers who approach, with the brochure saying, "do not call him a pedophile." Posts about the brochure first appeared on a Russian social media platform, citing an un-named…

Is the proposed bill in Tennessee that would create a common-law marriage between "one man" and "one woman" actually intended to pave the way for adults to marry children of any age? No, that's not true: According to the sponsor of HB 233, Rep. Tom Leatherwood, the bill is intended to create a form of marriage for just adult men…

Did a military tribunal convict Bill Gates? No, that's not true: A Pentagon duty officer told Lead Stories the claim is "completely false." Also, the claim originated from a self-described satirical website with a disclaimer that includes the disclaimer: "for entertainment purposes only." The claim appeared in an article (archived here) titled "Military Convicts Bill Gates," published by Real Raw…