Technology

Those that have entered into the shadow contract. A shadow contract is one of few mechanisms to enter large-scale consensus (it isn't THAT large when compared to a solar or galactic scale, but large enough for planetary control, and with some clever management, can scale larger).

Consensus requires untrusted sovereigns agreeing to collective action. It is a very difficult mechanism to operate. One way is by having a crime so heinous, the mass population block would eviscerate you if it came to light.

Pedophilia is king among these shadow cornerstones. It illustrates a total lack of empathy, no protective nature towards the innocent, no concern for the perceptions of society, high intellect / manipulation abilities, and a willingness to do anything. You can say it is the "panther" among the shadows.

So most leadership is among that tribe, which is why they are the way they are. It is only logical.

There are other tribes as well. Use your imagination and the answers will follow.

Funny thing, Reddit did that "circle" event many years ago. How big did anyone's circle get? That is an example of what I am explaining. It is nearly game theoretically impossible to have large scale consensus without some mechanism to make sure people are on the same page.