Teens and webcams

[spl98006]

I just read an article that has had me depressed all day:

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/19/national/19kids.ready.html?pagewanted=all

Web cams weren't even invented yet when I was a teen - in fact I still don't own one - so I guess I'm kind of out of it when it comes to this particular aspect of internet life.

I have no doubt that there are thousands of predators out on the web - but what is shocking about this article is the fact that the kid seemed like he knew exactly what he was doing and was exploiting his "customers" at least as much as they were exploiting him.

Are there really that many kids running their own "business" like this?

 

[D_Roderick Beresford Stiffington IV]

Good for him I say, I don't support child pornography and I don't think its a good thing at all, but the kid was smart enough to make a huge amount of money from it and I doubt it affected him in a negative way. Seems like a normal happy grown up in the pictures on nytimes.com

 

[spl98006]

Actually, my boyfriend's first reaction was "Why didn't I think of doing that??"

...followed immediately by a rehash of every shitty McJob he held when he was a teenager

...followed immediately after that by a diatribe on the American justice system for letting the kid off the hook. (He's Canadian and takes every excuse he can get to rub my nose in it. Do they not have plea bargains in Canada?)

 

[GoneA]

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/19/national/19kids.ready.html?pagewanted=all

Web cams weren't even invented yet when I was a teen - in fact I still don't own one - so I guess I'm kind of out of it when it comes to this particular aspect of internet life.

i don't own a webcam and never will.

 

[Synergistic]

Common sense is obviously an ironic moniker.

 

[Dr Rock]

what exactly is the problem here? nobody's doing anything non-consensual.

 

[warwithscars]

thats what i said i mean he chose to do what he was doing for 5 years.....the only part i see the problem was the claimed molestation that isnt cool.....but then you have to ask well is that what he is just saying now since he decided to retire which is what it seemed like.......but i mean he knew what he was doing and did it well

 

[GoneA]

He's just stupid....Why would you take off your clothes on webcam for money? Someone didn't have their head screwed on right.

well, he did just for that reason - the money. what's more, his reasoning turned out to be quite financially profitable.

A thirteen year old has more common sense than that....

i'm willing to vouch that quite a few thirteen-year-olds don't have "more common sense than that" ... although, i don't see it is a matter of common sense.

 

[Oscar The Grouch]

I don't think you can blame an immature underage for being drawn by a pedophile to the world of pornography. I know, protraying him as immune from his own partaking is probably not acceptable. But this story is a yearn for help, if he got out of it obviously he wasnt enjoying it and it took him that much time to realise he was disgustingly involved in it. It's kind of scary to think how screwed up his situation was that he went through all the hassle of federal investigations. I think it takes guts to do that.

 

[FBAnder]

Anyone remember the days of the ils servers on netmeeting? Man alive I cant even count the number of times I was solicited for "stuff" on netmeeting. Being a teen, I was naive and new to the webcam thing. When I first got mine, I did NOT have the notion of doing anything sexual...I just thought it was neat.

Now when I look back I realize how prevalent these predators were/are. You can't blame the teens for this. Yeah, sure, there may be SOME teens out there who consent to it willingly but many do these things for other reasons: they've been hurt psychologically and think these people actually care about them. What happened in that article and what happens today is adults exploiting teens. That is like me giving a compulsive gambler money to play and saying well he WANTED the money so its OK.

All these organizations like NAMBLA etc make me sick. They are fronts for pedophiles and child molesters.

 

[warwithscars]

if you listen to his interview the tape one you can tell he knew full well what he was doing and was making as much money as he could from it.....seriously not saying its right just saying is there is no innocent victim......yes the pedifiles are digusting and arent worthy living and i am yes maybe he was abit naive at first but he caught on quick

yes i am an asshole but i think he is just an attention whore.....and when the attention from his business wasnt enough anymore he decided to get more attention as a vistim and a hero or what the fuck ever.

i have had a webcam for ages and i know how freaky people are even from getting messages from here.....he if he was smart enough to set up his own website and work with computers like he did he was smart enough to avoid these people if he really wanted to.

 

[Dr Rock]

thats what i said i mean he chose to do what he was doing for 5 years.....the only part i see the problem was the claimed molestation that isnt cool...

he's also "confirmed his faith" and been "recently re-baptized", so i'd take any claims he makes with a pinch of salt.

 

[Oscar The Grouch]

Probably he was an attention whore, I hardly think, however, that he told his story for the mere sake of getting attention- the reporter was his only possible way out. There's some truth in what you say though, In five years going as far as setting up his own website, get a private apartment for his sessions, afterwards meeting with the pedophiles, realizing the hazards and not caring then opening a new domain in Mexico which featured him banging prostitutes.... It's kind of inexcusable at some point. But it is important to point out that the boy was recruited by this men, after the first time he bared his chest the game started and once he wanted out he could not because serious , even death threats were sent. So he didnt have that much choice.

Then again- perhaps he shouldve stopped at the first
"I'll give you 100 to see under your boxers" instant message.

 

[warwithscars]

i am not trying to take the blame off of anyone the pedfiles are sick like i said......just saying he isnt as innocent as he trys to lead on

and yeah after i read "confirmed his faith" and been "recently re-baptized" thing i was like ok i see whats going on now......i really cant trust in much of that.....you never know there motives at all.....this could just be a publicity ploy and he is being manipulated again by the anti pornography advicates and are useing the most extreme case they have to drum up support.

 

[college22punk9]

hmmmm... innocent or guilty, he had some fucked up people in his life. where were his parents? oh yeah. his dad encouraged it... and his mom... who knows. geez, doesn't anyone call and check up on their kids anymore when they say they are going to a friends house and are gone for 5 hours. oh yeah "but i trust my child...." mmmhmmm... look where that got them.

VOTE FOR STERILIZATION LAWS!! haha.

 

[D_Carroll Condomripper]

I'd love to do it!

I'm 19, if interested let me know!