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Relationships

Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

Dodgy porn/sex life or am I judgemental?

37 replies

Hattifnatt88 · 01/07/2019 09:44

Let me start off saying, this is about an ex - it just still bothers me for whatever reason.

My ex and I had lots of sex in the beginning, but eventually it became very rare, once we went 5 months without for no reason other than him not fancying it. I have a high sex drive, and this was very difficult for me (appreciate nobody should have sex if they don't want to).

My ex was abusive, which is why I eventually left him after being with him my entire 20s. He didn't like me initiating sex, so he would just decline. Whenever he wanted sex if I did not, he would sulk and be in a mood with me, then not want sex for several weeks after. So I just stopped saying no, as it wasn't worth the bad atmosphere - often I did not want to at all, just did it anyway.

I didn't realise until last week when I told my new (amazing) boyfriend that I didn't want sex, and he reacted so well, and didn't get moody about it at all (he said it's okay, don't want to do anything I'm not comfortable with. I did not say no, I just said "don't know" and he understood.) I cried, realising how wrong it had been in my previous relationship.

I left my ex once before, but we got back together and he moved in with me in the new flat I had moved to. I found out later that whilst we had been doing relationship counselling to try to save our relationship, that he had signed up to sex meet up websites and browsed for local escorts. This was when we were not living together, but from my understanding trying to work on our relationship. I checked his browsing history, and he had not been looking afaik at this whilst we lived together.

Later I also found he was watching a lot of porn - not having sex with me often still. One of the things I found on pornhub was labelled as "young teen masturbating", and it was a girl on her bed, in a girly pyjamas and with lots of soft toys around her and stuff, set as if she was 13 perhaps. She was very clearly over 18, so it wasn't that it was actual illegal porn, but it really disturbed me. When I eventually confronted him about it, he said he couldn't remember and wasn't paying too much attention to what porn he watched on there.

Like I said, this wasn't actual illegal porn, more some form of age play I guess. But it disturbed me to the core (I was molested at 14 by a man in his 50s). We did split up 1,5 years later again for good. I worry I'm being judgemental at a harmless fetish or something, or if my feelings are valid and natural. Is this a normal thing? Am I being judgemental of a kink? I know "teen porn" is very common, I don't like it, but this was depicted as a very young teen, and there is a big difference between someone pretending to be around 13 and someone that is 18 or 19.

Sorry for the long waffle, I just needed to get this off my chest and not sure where else I can.

OP posts:
RantyAnty · 01/07/2019 09:55

Your ex was a deviant porn addicted wanker

Be glad you're rid.

Let's not normalise deviant fucked up shit like; under age, paedophelia, incest, rape, etc.

Hattifnatt88 · 01/07/2019 10:08

It was very off putting. He would also mainly initiate sex when I was asleep (wake me by groping me). It was fun for a little bit - I'll admit that much, but it became several times a week and I just wanted to sleep, but didn't feel I could say no.

OP posts:
Hattifnatt88 · 01/07/2019 12:32

So few replies, anywhere more active I can post this? :(

OP posts:
CousinKrispy · 01/07/2019 12:40

Maybe people aren't sure what question you are asking, if any?

Your ex was sexually abusing you and sounds like his entire sexual world was pretty unhealthy and disrespectful. It's OK for you to see it that way now, but it was probably hard to see while you were caught in the dynamics of an abusive relationship. Take a look on Amazon for books about "healing after sexual abuse" if you feel up to a long read on it.

As women we are conditioned to accept all kinds of rotten shit in bed. It's well worth taking some time to explore this stuff and set new sexual boundaries for yourself.

Hattifnatt88 · 01/07/2019 13:09

Thank you CousinKrispy. I guess I worry I'm being judgemental rather than reasonable. I have a really good relationship with a new man now, though it brings out some bad feelings about how bad my ex did treat me, that I wasn't even aware of (just because I get so surprised when my boyfriend doesn't get in a mood with me over things).

OP posts:
boosterrooster · 01/07/2019 15:36

You're not being judgmental at all. Your feelings are valid. I would be pretty disturbed if my OH was viewing that type of porn.

I'd probably be ok with some of it but teen stuff like you describe would be way to far for me.

Just be glad you're finished with him.

NoBaggyPants · 01/07/2019 15:42

"Teen porn" is one step away from child abuse, it's not normal and I'd class anyone watching it as a paedophile.

I watch porn, many people do and have perfectly healthy sex lives. Don't confuse porn with someone getting their kicks from (simulated) criminal activity.

Hattifnatt88 · 01/07/2019 16:35

I guess I started doubting myself because I aired my feelings elsewhere and was told by admin that i was kink shaming "age play". So I don't know now, but it didn't feel/look like age play to me.

OP posts:
GarakIsMySweetheart · 01/07/2019 16:55

Tbh, when it comes to your sexual boundaries, you can be as judgemental as you like!

Just because someone else does it, or likes it, doesn't mean you have to.

And a lot of women put up with an awful lot of sexual stuff that crosses their boundaries because they don't feel they can say no.

As far as accusations of 'kink shaming' goes, that's just a manipulative device - they have no right to 'shame'tou for your preferences/boundaries either.

VitreousHumour · 01/07/2019 20:21

'Kink shaming age play' ?! Fucking hell - that admin is normalizing paedophilia. That's what it means and that is where queer theory/TRA ideology eventually takes us. Taboos are just kink-shaming, even that one. What the fuck was the site, OP?

PicsInRed · 01/07/2019 20:45

Yuuuuuuk.
You're well clear. Keep it that way.

Sadiesnakes · 02/07/2019 05:28

pretty sure elsewhere was relationships on reddit, largely moderated by male pornhounds themselves.

BitOfFun · 02/07/2019 05:33

You are not judgemental; you have boundaries, which is a good thing. I'm glad you are with a normal man now who respects them.

category12 · 02/07/2019 05:45

But "age play" is coming out of something pretty disturbing. "Kink" doesn't make it less problematic.

Prawnofthepatriarchy · 02/07/2019 06:14

Thing is, would you fall for a creep like this again? Because if you wouldn't you can simply file him under "Lessons Learned". He's your Ex. He's history.

As for being judgemental, you're talking about your sex life, your body, your boundaries. You have every right to be angry. But don't let him take him take up head space.

Hattifnatt88 · 02/07/2019 07:17

It was just a women's Facebook group. I was just rather confused that I seemed alone in my uncomfortable feelings. It's very far beyond my sexual boundaries - and believe me, I'm rather open minded!

OP posts:
Hattifnatt88 · 02/07/2019 07:21

No I would definitely not fall for someone like that again - though I was unaware he was into that until 7+ years after meeting! My new man is so respectful to my boundaries and how I feel, and it's a new world to me. I have no feelings left for my ex at all (I was the one to break it off, after having tried several times before and him basically not allowing it). I think it bothers me that this kind of porn seems common and popular, and well. I don't know. I just feel like I need to vent it out and talk to someone about it, but too embarrassed to talk to irl friends.

OP posts:
MMmomDD · 02/07/2019 09:21

OP - if I were you i’d really try to move on and focus on your present.
Not the past.
While you are dwelling on him - you aren’t present here and now, and still connected to him.
Don’t do it

GarakIsMySweetheart · 02/07/2019 12:34

I think it's reasonable for the OP to process what has happened in the past. That's how people do move on.

CousinKrispy · 02/07/2019 12:36

It's good to move on from exes, but I think it's also not uncommon to need time to process stuff from your past. Especially sexual abuse or coercion, as we often feel so ashamed of it.

It's also OK to take time to learn more and change your thinking on certain topics--I'm in a similar place to you maybe around porn, which I used to be very liberal about, but increasingly I think that we can't have nice (or porny...) things because some bunch of dipshits out there will say that having reasonable boundaries are "kink shaming" instead of recognizing that reasonable boundaries exist in order to protect the vulnerable.

Anyway I'm glad you are with a healthier partner.

Hattifnatt88 · 05/07/2019 12:13

Thanks :)

OP posts:
AFistfulofDolores1 · 05/07/2019 16:45

"Age play"? Emperor's new clothes territory.

Bluerussian · 05/07/2019 16:54

It takes time to fully get over a relationship like the one you had with your ex, flashbacks are common. However you have a new man now and the memories will fade, not go but not be important any more.

Aren't you glad it ended? His behaviour was gross in the extreme.

Enjoy the here and now.

PetrolBastard · 05/07/2019 17:11

There are two sides to age play and it's not all automatically paedophilia. Age regression can be used as a coping strategy to recover from trauma. There are many women who have been through sexual abuse who say that age regression helps them to deal with feelings of past traumatic events in a safe environment. So I would hesitate to kink shame them in that respect. I think that's probably what the people on the other forum were referring to. It doesn't mean your ex was a nice person.

category12 · 05/07/2019 18:39

What does it say about the person playing the parent role, tho, petrolbastard, that they get turned on by it?