The annual Conservative Political Action Conference’s (CPAC) decision to invite alt-right figurehead  Milo Yiannopoulos has grown more controversial after a video surfaced of him defending pedophilia. In particular, CNN’s Jake Tapper slammed Yiannopoulos’ invitation to attend the conservative event by noting that victims of pedophilia do not want to see their suffering treated lightly.

In a first tweet, Tapper wrote that a conservative friend of his who was “molested as a child” was “horrified” by the video of Yiannopoulos, noting his friend “could not be more distraught by this Milo tape.”

Tapper continued:

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Friend of mine, conservative, could not be more distraught by this Milo tape. Was molested as a child. Horrified.

— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) February 20, 2017

My friend, a survivor of sex trafficking: “Milo straight up defended abusing 13 yr old boys…Please don’t let that be normalized”

— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) February 20, 2017

More from survivor of sex trafficking: “Please please please don’t let that mess he said go away.”

How on earth can CPAC defend this?

— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) February 20, 2017

Was planning on ignoring for the most part, for those saying “stop publicizing him.” But friend reached out & pled w me to say something

— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) February 20, 2017

And sometimes that’s what journalists do – give voice to the voiceless. In this case, a survivor of sex trafficking HORRIFIED by Milo.

— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) February 20, 2017

Preying on children is the definition of evil. Justifying it in any way is sick and disturbing.

Has everyone lost their minds?

— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) February 20, 2017

Tapper was not the only person to express disapproval over CPAC’s invitation to Yiannopoulos. A board member of the American Conservative Union also expressed concern on Sunday. Ned Ryun wrote in a tweet, “There’s nothing about this that’s amusing. This isn’t about free speech. This is about basic decency.”

This is why you consult board members. https://t.co/PSvRBBY77n

— Ned Ryun (@nedryun) February 20, 2017

There’s nothing about this that’s amusing. This isn’t about free speech. This is about basic decency. https://t.co/CR9shNipZb

— Ned Ryun (@nedryun) February 20, 2017

Ryun tweeted again on Monday morning, adding, “The alt-right and its ‘fellow travelers’ have no place inside the conservative movement.”

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