"I'm also pretty sure that The Guardian came out on the right side of this issue. Unless that's a case of recovered memory syndrome on my part! ;-)"
Well, that rather depends on what you mean by 'the right side of this issue'. The Guardian was ahead of the curve in distancing itself from popular manifestations of the paedophile panic, but then it was ahead of the curve giving over its paper to the panic in the first place.
The 'quality' Guardian newspaper condemned its tabloid rival the News of the World for stirring up an anti-paedophile panic. 'Chorus of fear and loathing swells in the streets of a latterday Salem' reported the Guardian on the week of protests on the Paulsgrove housing estate in Portsmouth (August 12 2000). However, the Guardian had been doing some witch-hunting of its own:
May 27-June 17 1998 Nick Davies lip-smacking four part 'special investigation' into 'the most secret crime' damned social service guidelines as a 'paedophiles' charter'. January 24 1999 'Secret registers of known paedophiles are to be thrown open to all organisations caring for children as part of a government drive to protect the young from child abusers'. July 22 1999 'British paedophiles are targeting charities and aid agencies in developing countries in an attempt to gain access to vulnerable children'. July 23 1999 'A coalition of six big charities, including Christian Aid, the NSPCC and NCH Action for Children, has launched a campaign calling for a change in the law to stop paedophiles travelling abroad to abuse children'. July 29 1999 'Employers could be fined or jailed for placing convicted paedophiles in jobs involving work with children, the government said yesterday'. July 30 1999 'Anglicans curb child abusers'. December 9 1999 'Police swoop on internet child porn'. December 28 1999 'Touched by evil', naming and shaming an alleged perpetrator. January 9 2000 'FA on the attack as paedophiles target football's talent factories'. February 16 2000 'Refuges that turned into purgatory' (about Children's homes). March 19 2000 'Exposed: where child porn lurks on the Net'. May 28 2000 'The Government is to strengthen the law against paedophiles using the internet'. July 20 2000: 'Catholic leader appointed paedophile priest'. August 3 2000: 'Childcarer job leaflet is invitation to paedophiles'.
It seems that the News of the World's biggest crime was to muscle-in on the Guardian's chosen role of Salem Gazette.