A Pueblo man who self-published a book for pedophiles is on his way to Florida to face charges of violating that state’s obscenity law.
Phillip Ray Greaves II, author of “The Pedophile’s Guide to Love and Pleasure: a Child-lover’s Code of Conduct,” waived his right to contest his extradition to Polk County, Fla. at an extradition hearing in Pueblo at 1:30 p.m. Monday, Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Laurie Kilpatrick said.
Greaves was arrested at around 8 a.m. today by Pueblo police working with detectives from Florida, Pueblo Police Department Deputy Chief Andrew McLachlan said.
McLachlan said Polk County detectives contacted his department Sunday afternoon to arrange cooperation on the arrest.
Greaves created national controversy with the book, which stopped offering for download last month.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said he saw national press coverage of Greaves and felt frustrated that Colorado authorities could not arrest a man he called “obviously deviant.
“I knew we had a very strong obscenity law here,” Judd said.
Judd said his office was able to arrest Greaves because he sold and mailed an autographed copy of his book directly to undercover Polk deputies.
“No one else seemed to do it who was closer,” Judd said. “So we said, ‘what the heck?'”
Judd said his office was told by the Florida State Attorney’s Office that they would prosecute Greaves if Judd could get jurisdiction.
Florida’ obscenity law — a third-degree felony — prohibits the “distribution of obscene material depicting minors engaged in conduct harmful to minors.”
The book, Judd said, included first-person descriptions of sexual encounters, purportedly written from a child’s point of view.
Judd has a reputation as a crusader against child predators. “That comes from my passion to protect those who are most vulnerable,” he said.
Greaves has publicly argued that being a pedophile is not a crime, although acting on those urges is.
“Do not imagine that you have been given a mere code of ethics,” Greaves wrote in the book. “Instead, consider that the nectar of love has been given from the hand of compassion and grace.”
Judd said that Greaves faces a maximum of five years in prison if convicted.
Kyle Glazier: 303-954-1638 or kglazier@denverpost.com
