**On April 24 2017, at approximately 5:00pm EST, the head moderators ([s_99](https://www.reddit.com/user/Seamus9999), [LOCAP](https://www.reddit.com/user/deadfracture99), and [Clozure](https://www.reddit.com/user/34895348573857348759)) of the popular subreddit /r/3dshacks censored a post exposing a child predator in the 3DS, Wii U, and Switch hacking communities.**
**This post, [made with the staff approval after much bickering](https://0bin.net/paste/qK1vWjClOqWFYOSJ#Ba53hgBZMDzJPVWUbJ9e5w139KS2i4daFc7cyQYR+bi), received a score of 417 with an 80% upvote rate, and clearly had the support of the community behind it. This was not a rash post of a sole developer, but rather had the support of the staff of various developer groups.**
**These moderators were entrusted to keep the community safe, but instead they attempted cover up the issue. [Some members of the staff did not want the community to be made aware at all](https://0bin.net/paste/eBQtFS1iI-oUZ+Hi#LnzRA87qPu-r+3YfuVsSuBpQqtbgRznW3aWuls+XWJr). Because of this censorship, I will no longer be associated with the /r/3dshacks subreddit or IRC until there is a change in leadership.**
**A post explaning the events (with additional information and evidence) can be found below. A full archive of the removed thread can be found [*here*](https://imgur.com/gallery/un69v). The original (now removed) thread can be found [*here*](https://www.reddit.com/r/3dshacks/comments/674ik7/).**
**I would like to formally apologize to the moderator [dubyadud](https://www.reddit.com/user/dubyadud), whose legitimate apology I had assumed was damage control on behalf of the moderator team. The deletion of a pre-discussed post this important felt like a betrayal of trust, and as such I was lumping all the moderators together.**
**No, this guide will not be deleted. This notice will be removed when it is appropriate to do so. It is not a "witch hunt" when evidence is provided.**
**In the original version of this post, I avoided mentioning anything that would directly reveal the victim's identity. Unfortunately, they rendered that effort moot by replying directly to the original thread (visible in [this archive](https://imgur.com/gallery/un69v)).**
**Because protecting the privacy of the victim is no longer an option, evidence to back up the claims made against Dazzozo can be found [here](https://0bin.net/paste/n-tGGoZUNr8iKDpu#JnORnwh6Cdfd9S8hJp3wWLxUnmJt7HQxV0DsjdOz45L), [here](https://gist.github.com/daeken/d2540e3fc355b5648442eb190dd8de84), [here](https://imgur.com/gallery/4Y35B), and [here](https://web.archive.org/web/20080312220606/http://dazzozo.com/profile.php?lookup=1) (for age, [mirror](https://imgur.com/gallery/NtyOJ)).**
I did not want to have to make this post, but it is important that I do so for the safety of the community as a whole.
About three weeks ago, on April 2nd, compelling evidence in the form of explicit conversation logs surfaced indicating that a 22-year old member of the 3DS, Wii U, and Switch hacking communities, [Dazzozo](https://dazzozo.com/) ([Github](https://github.com/Dazzozo)), was sexually involved in a long distance relationship with a minor. He, more specifically, intended on leaving the country in order to have sexual relations with this minor which is in clear violation of [the relevant sex tourism laws](http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2003/42/section/15). When confronted, Dazzozo made no attempt to deny this behavior; instead, he stated that he was unaware that the sex tourism laws applied. He has since been banned from the place where this situation occurred, and all information has been turned over to the relevant authorities.
This is not the first time something like this has happened in the 3DS hacking community. Just recently, Cruel\`, a well-known developer in the community, was convicted on child pornography charges and will be spending [20 years in prison](http://www.gwinnettdailypost.com/local/gwinnett-man-convicted-of-running-child-porn-site/article_05ad133f-165f-5afe-9714-92fc4445ead1.html) as a result.
I want to be abundantly clear: this type of predatory behavior is indefensible; no form of healthy relationship can develop in a situation where there is a power imbalance as large as that between an adult and a 15-year old. This type of "[grooming](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Child_grooming)" behavior is extremely damaging to the minors affected by it. They tend to be isolated from friends and have their personality changed to match the one of the adult (which is exactly what happened in this situation). This community has many young members who may not fully understand the dangers of this, and it is our responsibility to keep them safe.
If you have knowledge of unhealthy relationships involving an adult and a minor such as this one, it is our responsibility as community members to come forward and protect the minor, even if they do not yet understand that their relationship is damaging.
