Judge Joseph Polito of Will County, Illinois admitted to repeatedly using his courthouse PC for viewing hard-core pornography on the Internet. He also admits that despite knowing there was a policy against viewing pornography at work, he kept searching for it--even after being blocked by software designed to keep staff on-task.

Polito faces charges for violating the state's code of judicial conduct, which could result in anything from a reprimand to termination. Sadly, he was seemingly “willing” to jeopardize his job to satisfy his addiction. This goes to show that pornography is a powerful addiction that often causes traditionally rational people to make irrational decisions.

After being confronted about his pornography use, Polito sought treatment for his behavior. He has since received regular treatment by two licensed professionals and has participated in two support groups.

Pornography addiction happens quickly. It is extremely important to have a reliable Internet filter on your devices, to protect your children from inappropriate material and to protect you from accidental exposure as well. As rational people, we all deserve to be in control and able to make rational decisions.

I work for ContentWatch and all opinions expressed here are my own.