Sweetie: The avatars that "captures" pedophiles on the Internet

"My name is Sweetie (cute). I am 10 years old and I live in the Philippines. Every day I sit in front of the camera on my computer and talking with men: 10, sometimes 100 per hour. Asking me to take my clothes off. And they undress. "

It is a confession that undoubtedly shock. Fortunately, however, Sweetie is a ten year old girl, allegedly advised when interlocutors.

This is an avatar (SS so called graphical representation of a human) or, more simply, a software that pretends to be a minor.

Its purpose is to "fish" pedophiles who try to satisfy their appetites, thinking that they are dealing with real children (as unfortunately happens often).

"What we do not know is that I'm not real. I'm a computer system that has been built specifically to identify people who do these acts, "said Sweetie.

The "Sweetness" was born in the laboratories of the Dutch NGO Terre des Hommes. So today is "converse" with thousands of men from around the world who seek to engage in sexual acts in front of the webcam, thinking they are real.

Until now, these people remain unpunished. On Tuesday, however, an Australian became the world's first pedophile sentenced for acts made ​​against not a real man, but a ... avatar.

His name is Robert Scott Hansen is 38 years. Brisbane's Court sentenced him to two years imprisonment, judging the guilty on charges related to child sexual abuse.

"Hey, are you really nine years?" Asked the Sweetie Hansen at the beginning of the dialogue. When he got hit, wasted no time: "I like Asian chicks. Are you "inside" for some action?  Have you ever seen a man naked. He said to a ten year old girl "I am naked.

According to the judge, no matter if it was a real child, or computer software. What matters is that the actor thought he had to do with a minor in the Philippines.

The Sweetie goes into chatrooms and "fishes" pedophiles who surf the Internet to reach out to young children.

In just 10 weeks approximately 200,000 men from 71 countries came into contact with her. According to its creators, most of these people are "above suspicion": a family and children, a good job and a high income and education levels.

In the case of Hansen's organization Terre des Hommes recorded all the "talks" with his Sweetie, as well as the movements of the front of the camera and delivered the material to the Australian police.

The action started Sweetie in a campaign to end the so-called "tourism of webcam» (men surf the internet and pay children from developing countries to perform sexual acts on camera).

appeals

Some, however, do not agree with this practice. The Terry Gorman, president of the Australian Council of Civil Liberties, said the use of such avatars of private organizations is "far-fetched" and equivalent to continuous policing.

Last year, British police warned that these "hunters" often destroy the lives of innocent people - some of whom are driven to suicide - and prevent the identification of the actual culprits.