There is no doubt that the CP sites / silkroad exist(ed). But the way the government handled it went beyond what should have been done.
Let's take another hypothetical situation. Lets just say that instead of an internet site, the silkroad was actually just a building. The government knows that they have to shut down this building in order to stop illegal activity. Instead of simply shutting it down, they take it over and put a sign in front of it that says "Closed for maintenance! Come back later!", and then they attached a tracking device to anyone who approached the building during that time (without them knowing).
This is basically what has happened here, and it's not the first time it's happened either. While you may say "Yes well they were just trying to catch the people who were going there", you must realize that there is another underlying reason to them handling it in that way. This didn't just affect people who were going to the said illegal sites, it affected plenty of (innocent) people who simply use Tor as a political statement against online tracking.
The "We're tracking child enthusiasts" excuse is a coverup for "We're destroying anything that prevents us from monitoring you".
