Pedobear! You know him as the internet superstar who brings joy to millions as a cuddly harbinger of child predation. But not everyone finds the concept of a pervy virtual Easter Bunny to be utterly delightful. In 2010, the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Department issued a warning claiming that Pedobear had been "adopted as a mascot" by pedophiles. (It was a perfectly logical assumption, seeing as how child molesters have long sought a highly recognizable cartoon symbol to align themselves with, that they might be more readily identified amidst the general population.) Now, the New Mexico Attorney General's Office has made it a top priority to alert parents to the furry, lollipop-wielding menace in our midst.

In this report from New Mexico's KRQE, spokesperson Lynn Southard offers a stern warning to the public: "The bear is cute," she concedes, pausing a moment to resist PB's button-eyed adorableness. "The bear is cute. Buuuut — that is what the pedophiles are using to identify each other."

Pedobear bumper stickers, window decals, lunchboxes, Trapper Keepers, you name it — all of them offer Pedobear sympathizers a simple yet effective way to keep in touch, Southard says.

Two Pedobear stickers were spotted on cars in Albuquerque this month. One was on the rear window of a Jeep near the University of New Mexico...Members of the Attorney General's office say these accounts are the first time the bear has popped up in the state. Online the bear is placed in children's games and unprotected kid-friendly websites. Predators use it to lure kids to their websites and initiate inappropriate contact. Pedophiles have also been known to buy costumes of the bear and wear them to get close to kids.

There's one catch: Since it's perfectly legal to display a Pedobear sticker, there's actually not a whole lot the Attorney General can do. They strongly suggest, however, that if you spot Pedobear in the real world, to "use caution with whatever situation you're in or the people involved."

In other words, run! But preferably not in the direction of traffic. [kasa.com]