I remember when I was younger and I thought de-stigmatizing pedophilia just enough to get people to get help before they act, it would be the correct action. As it saves one person from a dark path and numerous children from being hurt by them.

Then I realized that the camp of "destigmatize it entirely" was making headway way faster and doing so with intents very much not in the interest of protecting any children, and I abandoned any notion of it.

In an absolutely perfect world I still think we should try to catch them before they offend, and the prison system is built off the idea that even irredeemable scum need to be treated better to keep them behaving for the good of everyone else, and that thought crimes are not real crimes to be destroyed over.

But we don't live in a perfect world, and until we do all pedos deserve the rope unless they are man enough to get the help on their own even through the risks, and even then they should be watched.