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As of September 2025, Prostasia Foundation, a child protection organization devoted to eliminating child sexual abuse (CSA) and upholding the human rights of all, has formally wound up its operations. Our website and social media accounts are now permanently archived, and our community forum is being maintained independently by volunteers. If you are looking for support from organizations aligned with our mission, some recommendations are listed at the end of this post.
When Prostasia was founded in 2018, there was a spirit of greater openness to evidence-based discussions of CSA and its connection with pedophilia and to non-carceral approaches to preventing sexual violence. That openness allowed us to pioneer conversations that placed child protection and human rights on the same page. But in the years that followed, until 2021 when Prostasia was at its most active, the climate shifted. Movements across the political spectrum hardened the discourse, and our mission became increasingly contentious. This account by our founding Executive Director, Jeremy Malcolm, describes both our early successes and the wave of viral misinformation that targeted us.
From 2022–2025, Prostasia was sustained by a succession of remarkable public health leaders—including Jae Snell, Laramie Gorbett, Gilian Tenbergen, and most recently Kristin Spooner—who carried the torch with courage and clarity. They faced a persistent wave of misinformation and smear campaigns that were demonstrably false in every respect. But research has shown that once misinformation spreads, correcting it can backfire and even strengthen false beliefs. This was the uphill battle Prostasia faced.
Although the impact of these attacks was real, they never defined us. What defined Prostasia was the vision we carried forward: that protecting children requires more than punishment after harm occurs. It requires prevention. That perspective now shapes organizations and movements such as Talking for Change and Prevention Global. Our insistence on distinguishing between CSA and pedophilia has also been affirmed by leading institutions, including Australia’s National Center for Action on CSA.
Specific projects also continue:
- Research: The groundbreaking study we initiated on the effects of fantasy sexual materials on real-world offending is still underway with the original team, now supported through other channels. As one researcher put it, “This work will continue… to protect children from harm”.
- Peer support: The independent peer support group MSC, which we sponsored and which became a flashpoint for controversy, remains active. It has been cited positively in multiple professional and scholarly publications, and is now undergoing academic evaluation.
- Digital rights: Our digital rights advocacy continues through the Center for Online Safety and Liberty, an incubator for independent projects that empower individuals and communities to thrive online by building safer spaces, fostering creativity, combating harm, and championing digital rights and freedom.
If you feel sadness at Prostasia’s closure, know that we share it. But also know this: the work was never only ours. It was—and is—a community effort, and many of its seeds are still growing. The communities most harmed by fear-driven responses to CSA deserve better, and so do the children who need us to prioritize prevention before harm occurs.
To every supporter who stood with us: thank you. Prostasia’s name may be retiring, but its values and vision continue in the work of others. If you are looking for resources now that Prostasia is gone, here is a non-exhaustive list of some that we recommend (many of them former partners, or including Prostasia alumni):
Child sexual abuse prevention
Digital rights
Sex worker rights
Artists rights
Sexual freedom
Peer support
Sex education
Criminal justice reform
Survivor advocacy
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