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Amazon pedophilia author in Florida jail

A Colorado man who wrote a how-to guide for pedophiles has been booked into a central Florida jail.
/ Source: The Associated Press

A Colorado man who wrote a how-to guide for pedophiles has been booked into a central Florida jail.

Phillip Greaves of Pueblo, Colo., was booked into the Polk County jail on Tuesday morning. Officials say his first court appearance is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon.

The 47-year-old was arrested Monday in Colorado. He is charged with violating Florida's obscenity law, a third-degree felony.

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd claims jurisdiction because Greaves sold and mailed a copy of his book to undercover deputies who had written the author requesting a copy.

Judd said Greaves even signed the book.

"He very proudly sold us his personal copy," Judd told the Associated Press. "I was outraged by the content. It was clearly a manifesto on how to sexually batter children ... You just can't believe how absolutely disgusting it was."

The book caused online outrage when it was listed on Amazon in November. It was later removed from the site.

Florida's obscenity law prohibits the "distribution of obscene material depicting minors engaged in conduct harmful to minors."

Greaves has no criminal record.

Judd, known throughout Florida as a crusader against child predators, said he was incensed when he heard about the book and that no one had arrested Greaves for selling it.

"What's wrong with a society that has gotten to the point that we can't arrest child pornographers and child molesters who write a book about how to rape a child?" Judd said.

** CORRECTS SPELLING OF FIRST NAME TO PHILLIP STED PHILIP ** This photo provided by Pueblo County Sheriff's Office shows Phillip Ray Greaves II. Florida officials filed an obscenity charge Monday, Dec. 20, 2010 against the author of a self-published how-to guide for pedophiles that was yanked from Amazon.com last month after it generated online outrage. (AP Photo/Pueblo County Sheriff's Office)
** CORRECTS SPELLING OF FIRST NAME TO PHILLIP STED PHILIP ** This photo provided by Pueblo County Sheriff's Office shows Phillip Ray Greaves II. Florida officials filed an obscenity charge Monday, Dec. 20, 2010 against the author of a self-published how-to guide for pedophiles that was yanked from Amazon.com last month after it generated online outrage. (AP Photo/Pueblo County Sheriff's Office)Pueblo County Sheriff's Office

The book included first-person descriptions of sexual encounters, purportedly written from a child's point of view.

Greaves argues in the book that pedophiles are misunderstood, as the word literally means to love a child. He adds that it is only a crime to act on sexual impulses toward children, and offers advice that purportedly allows pedophiles to abide by the law.

Judd said he and his detectives got Greaves to sell the book to them for $50; he sent it through the mail and told officers it was his last copy.

"If we can get jurisdiction ... we're coming after you," Judd said. "There's nothing in the world more important than our children."

Greaves is being charged with distribution of obscene material depicting minors engaged in conduct harmful to minors.

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