Between our binge streaming of Breaking Bad on Netflix, our selfies on Instagram, and our bantering about Obamacare on Facebook, there's a dark part of the Internet that is allowing "sex tourism" of children in chatrooms.
Men from around the world are using these chatrooms to connect with children and get them to perform illegal sex acts over webcam. The international organization, Terre des Hommes, is using technology to fight back against these predators with a virtual girl that is helping catch these perverts in the act. The group is trying to raise awareness about "Webcam Child Sex Tourism," and Sweetie, the 10-year-old virtual Filipino girl, is front and center in their effort. She comes into play when a member of the organization engages in a chat with one of the predators, and when the man asks to see the girl over webcam, Sweetie comes on and can play the part. The virtual model looks like the real thing, and the pervs get excited and begin pleasuring themselves. This, in turn, is recorded and used as evidence against them. Sweetie can also engage in conversation with the men, and get information out of them that can be used to track them down. Sweetie has helped catch a thousand of these predators overseas in just two months.
[via Gizmodo]
