Koen Leurs began his voyage through the field of new media from up close in 2001 while working in several functions for Dutchtone, a mobile phone company (now known as Orange). He began researching new media phenomena in 2002, enrolling in the University of Utrecht’s Communication and Information Studies Programme. During this programme he focussed on among other things, mythology, sexuality and implications of file sharing and pedophilia.
He finished his bachelor programme cum laude in 2005. Findings of his bachelor thesis, entitled “exploring pedophilia, a pragmatic inventory of the pedophilic discourse observed from a digital media perspective” were presented at the Institute of Network Cultures Arts and Politics of Net Porn Conference. Koen is currently enrolled in the research master Media Studies at Utrecht University.
Synopsis of the thesis which was briefly presented at the conference:
By means of an exemplary, explorative investigation into pedophilia, a complex array of discourses are unfolded. Utilizing the vocabulair of Foucault and termini begotten from the actor-network theory, a pragmatic inventory of the network of the self-defined implicit, explicit, hidden and resurfacing pedophilic discourses was conducted. Focussing on the network from a digital media perspective, exploitation of a technological democracy by pedophiles is looked into. It was found that a rational, synthetic understanding of the explored discourses will be needed in order to create a possible hindrance for online pedophilic justification and children molestation processes.
The thesis is accessible via: www.koenleurs.net