Ferchrissakes, if he'd given us his word that he was a stamp collector, no one would give a shit. But, "I really want to have sex with children," is not something that rational people will just shine on. And most normal people wouldn't count that as an asset on a baby-sitter's application form either

I didn't say he'd be my first choice of babysitter, but I don't see paedophilia as necessarily an automatic disqualifier anymore than being a bestialist means you can't look after my dog. What I said was if he was a friend of mine (like all my other sitters) and I knew he was an out paedophile, I would still let him look after my kid. Because, call me crazy, but I trust my friends not to hurt my kid (or they wouldn't be my friend), and anyway, I trust people not to act on their every impulse at any opportunity.

Y'all are treating him like he'd be a junkie in a room full of drugs. I'd treat him like a person with a particular attraction in a situation where that's not particularly relevant to the job at hand. IOW, I'd expect a modicum of self control from him, just like I'd trust a gay friend who thought I was hot (of which I have had a couple) not to take advantage of me when I'm drunk, or a straight friend not to try and peek at my wife changing her clothes. You know - civilized behaviour?