Dr Jacob Breslow has resigned as a trustee of Mermaids Gender services after it was revealed he had given a speech supporting paedophilia. He was a PhD student when he made the speech in Baltimore for the American-based B4U-ACT in 2011.

B4U-ACT lists its aims as supporting and promoting 'a science-informed understanding about people in our communities with an attraction to children or adolescents' on its own website.

Dr Breslow's presentation, titled Sexual Alignment: Critiquing Sexual Orientation, The Pedophile, and the DSM V, appears to criticise societal understanding of paedophiles.

The research, which still has extracts appearing online, promises 'major revisions on how paedophilia is defined, diagnosed and understood' and says it will approach the topic through 'queer and feminist lenses'.

His presentation, in parts, also adopts the controversial phrase 'minor attracted persons', which is used by some people instead of paedophile.

Mermaids has been under intense scrutiny in recent times, being criticised for a lack of safeguards when dealing with vulnerable children.

The organisation receives an enormous amount of tax-payer funding to provide ‘affirmation-only’ pathways for children, as well as promoting their agenda in schools.

Last month, members of the charity floundered in court as they attempted to challenge LGB Alliance’s charity status.

Then it emerged that they were offering chest binders and medical advice to children behind their parent’s backs.

This latest scandal will not bode well for the organisation. Celebrities, activists and commentators have taken to social media to condemn Breslow and Mermaids for this serious breach of trust.

JK Rowling, who has copped a lot of flak for her opposition to Mermaids, posted a long thread about Breslow and his association with mermaids.  One tweet read;

“We've now learned that Mermaids appointed a paedophilia apologist as Trustee and that their online moderator encouraged kids to move onto a platform notorious for sexual exploitation. This is a charity that's achieved unprecedented influence in the UK.”

Author Hadley Freeman wrote, “Will the celebrities and politicians who unthinkingly endorsed Mermaids ever apologise? Will the activists and ‘journalists’ who said anyone who questioned it were bigots? Of course not.”

Another author Simon Edge commented, “A children’s charity has a secret trustee who has written of his excitement that being sexually attracted to children is emerging as a sexual and political identity. The charity, Mermaids, is supported by the National Lottery.”

And Joanna Cherry KC expressed her concern stating, “I thought I was beyond shocking but no, I’m actually quite shocked by these latest revelations. There is now more than ample evidence that concerns about safeguarding at Mermaids are well founded.”

Binary spokeswoman Kirralie Smith said Mermaids has a lot to answer for.

“It is bad enough this charity goes behind parent’s backs to encourage children on a pathway that leads to sterilisation, zero sexual function and other serious side effects,” she said. “To also employ a man who openly promotes paedophilia is absolutely appalling.

“All gender clinics and services must undergo an immediate and thorough investigation for the safety of all children.”