Crazy Stuff - How Long Until The UK Writes 2257 In To Lawbooks?

[Lee]

The government's internet child protection agency has warned of an increasing number of teenagers being approached online to perform sex shows on webcams.

Five Live Report's Phil Kemp investigated two teenagers' experiences.

Nick was 16 when he set up a personal profile on Faceparty, a social networking website - something an estimated nine out of 10 teenagers now do.

It wasn't long before people he didn't know were getting in touch and asking him to go on his webcam.

"They said: 'I could pay you if you want.' I was like, 'OK, fair enough.' If there's a bit of money involved, there's a bit of incentive."

As with many other teenagers, Nick's computer and his webcam are in his bedroom.

These cameras that film you at your desk often come built-in with new computers or you can buy them separately for under £10.

'Camgirls'

By creating a profile on a popular website, Nick has become one of the growing number of "camgirls" and "camboys" offering webcam sex shows for money.

Nick remembers why he was tempted the first time someone suggested paying him.

"The Xbox 360 had just come out and games were about 50 quid.

"I was thinking, 'If I could do this on a regular basis, I could have a lot of games'."

The Child Exploitation and Online Protection Agency (CEOP) says it has been receiving a growing number of reports of unsolicited requests to young people, asking them to perform sex shows.

CEOP's chief executive Jim Gamble describes it as a growing trend, although some of the cases now coming to light date back several years.

They can involve money paid via online transfer services such as Paypal, best known for its use on auction websites.

This would breach Paypal's terms and conditions but the company says it is unable to monitor every transaction that is made.

At risk

But CEOP warns that children without a bank account or other means of being paid money online are also at risk.

"They're being engaged with the offer of credits for other areas in gaming sites, in particular, to commit sexual acts on webcam," says Mr Gamble.

On these websites, credits can be bought with real money and it's these that CEOP says are being used to coax young people into turning on their webcams.

Sarah also created a profile on the Faceparty website when she was 16.

She started offering cam shows when she saw other girls doing the same in the website's chatroom.

"I quit college because the money was so good. I would have about 10 to 15 a day, which would be about £100 to £150."

Sarah says even when she was 16, people paying for her shows would ask to meet her in person for sex.

She says she always refused.

Mr Gamble warns that paying for webcam sex shows with children under the age of 18, even without physical contact, is just as illegal as child prostitution.

Any prosecution could result in a lengthy jail sentence.

"It's no different in the virtual world. If you become involved in this type of activity, there will be a consequence. You're damaging and harming a child," says Gamble.

'Degrading'

CEOP also warns that teenagers are themselves risking prosecution by publishing indecent material of someone aged under 18.

Sarah's now 20 and she regrets having given up her studies for the money she was making with her webcam.

"If I could go back, I wouldn't have ever started doing it. You look back on it and it's quite degrading."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6757827.stm

With stuff like this happening more and more on scial networking type sites, and with most of these kids having their PCs and webcams in their bedrooms, do you think the UK would be within their rights to enact some kind of 2257 related law over there? I dont think it will be to long myself.

Also, id love to know where the parents are when this shit is happening i mean seriously, any parent that thinks a PC is a good tool for looking after their kids needs to have their head examined.

Regards,

Lee

[gaybucks_chip]

I think half of the problem is that so few perpetrators are caught, and when they are, often the sentences are minimal.

When law enforcement starts aggressively going after the creeps trying to get 15 and 16 year old kids (or younger) to have sex or whatever, whether on camera or in person, and the penalties are harsh enough in punishing them (and perhaps reliably enforcing mandated therapy or chemical castration or whatever) then MAYBE we'll get somewhere.

I hear from models and prospective models all the time about how creepy guys were hitting on them at 14, 15, 16 when they were just trying to talk with friends and be social.

Yes, parents need to be more involved, kids computer use needs to be supervised, and kids need to be educated more often and more directly about online predators. But perpetrators need to really understand there are severe consequences and maybe if the word gets out, the incidence of this sort of thing will go down.

[gaystoryman]

Reminds me of a show that NBC did, or is doing stil.. their Predator series, where they trap guys looking for sex with a 12 or 13 year old. It amazed me at how little the penalties where for those who were caught, convicted.

Granted they didn't have sex, but were soliciting them for it, and with hardly anyone getting more than a 1 year sentance, seems that the penalties certainly don't match the crime.

[BuzzWestChris]

Nothing pisses me off more than Ill Informed Politicians!!!!

It totally ruins any form of Democracy!!!

[marcjacob]

Lee surely the current UK law allready covers this? I would say that 2257 doesnt stop exploitation of this kind or real cp. That said, why shouldnt UK webmasters have the docs to prove age?

[ponyboy]

My take on it is, anyone that is doing kiddy porn, or paying underage kids to do anything should have there balls cut off and jail time. If they do it again then they should get a live sentence!

The next thing is where are the parents? That computer shouldn't be in the kid's room but if it's connected up to the internet then it should only be in the family room where the parents can check up on them.

Lets face it 2257 doesn't stop kiddy porn.

[Squirt]

Nothing pisses me off more than Ill Informed Politicians!!!!

It totally ruins any form of Democracy!!!

HERE HERE!! :groovy:

[samebb]

I have to jump in here. This is all media bullshit. The UKs continued attempts to scare everyone into living in a box.

First off, for anyone who doesn't know the age of content in the UK for both straight and gay sex is 16. A 16 year old can legally have sex with a 50 year old, if both parties are happy with it.

That news article used two 16 year olds? Why? I mean i am sure there are many 13 - 15 year olds out being paid by these sickos for webcam shows, but really why 16 year olds?

If some sicko had said to them instead "want to meet up for sex?" and they did, that would be legal because they are both over 16, as long as there was no money involved.

I cant see a 16 year old being referred to as a KID. Its bullshit. When i was 16 i don't think i had one friend who was still a virgin. Girls my age at school had babies and 2 of them were MARRIED! Maybe its not the same in the USA, but most 16 year olds in the UK are sexual active, and usually have been for a couple of years.

----

My main point is, if you have a kid under 16, guardians of that child should be monitoring EVERYTHING they do online, but 16+ COME ON!

At 16 in the UK, you can live on your own, you can smoke, you can marry, you can have sex, heck, you can use a motorcycle on public highways. There isn't much you cant do.

The media trying to frighten people like this is no way to solve the this problem.

Its like Chip said, lock them up, never let them out, cut off the balls, and the kids will be safe.

---
I'm sorry for my rambleing, but still being young still myself this sort of stuff makes me laugh. Leave the social networking sites alone, and tell the kids parents to do their damn jobs.

<<RANT OVER>>

As a further note, its clear these UK government officials don't actually live in the real world.

[attis]

Can't agree more with you, samebb!

[marcjacob]

Sam whilst i completly agree with your points, if we are talking about a 16 year old being offered cash to webcam nude, my understanding is that - that would be illegal in the UK.

On another point:

I think we need to ask if we have got the law right in the UK. I mean you can have sex and raise a child at 16 but cant be filmed having sex at 16.My view on the age of consent debate back in the day was that it should have been equalised at 18, putting the straight age up rather than the gay age down. Not sure if thats right or wrong, but we need to decide at what age you are ok to have sex, and imo, if you cant watch other people shagging, and cant be filmed shagging, may be your not old enough to shag?

The thing is of course, like you said, people loose their virginity at a very early age these days and many kids around her (under 16) are also parents. Whatever changes we made, you cant put the genie back in bottle.

Ooh listen to may, im becoming a tory voter