Webcam Child Sex Tourism is a new phenomenon that’s growing rapidly. Wealthy men (and maybe some women?) pay children from poor countries to sit in front of a webcam and take their clothes off — and more — while the men remove their own clothing and masturbate. Terre des Hommes Netherlands is an organization that is committed to putting a stop to this heinous crime. They’ve created the prototype of a 10-year-old girl girl named Sweetie from the Philippines. Sweetie has identified 1,000 predators in two months.
From the Terre des Hommes?website:
Terre des Hommes Netherlands raises the alarm about a largely unknown, but quickly spreading new form of child exploitation that has got tens of thousands victims involved in the Philippines alone: webcam child sex tourism. In less than two and a half months Terre des Hommes researchers were able to identify over 1,000 adults who were willing to pay children in developing countries to perform sexual acts in front of the webcam. With the help of a virtual 10 year old Philippine girl the researchers identified adults from more than 65 countries. The video footage of the child predators has been handed over to the police authorities today.
The United Nations and the FBI estimate that 750,000 pedophiles are online at any given moment. From the petition at AVAAZ.org:
An estimated?750,000 pedophiles are online, but only six men have so far been convicted?of paying young people to perform sex acts in front of webcams. Incredible investigative research has lifted the lid on this emerging vile practice, and shown the devastating psychological trauma it inflicts on young minds.?
The numbers and ages of the children are staggering.
“Tens of thousands of kids, some of them only six years old, are abused behind cams in the Philippines alone.”?
The researchers don’t have to wait long for predators to show themselves.
“The moment you log in and identify yourself as a young girl [Sweetie] from the Philippines, they swarm at you. It happens extremely fast.”
The rapidity of how fast these messages flood Sweetie’s computer is shocking. It will blow your mind.
Terre des Hommes researchers patrol the websites where predators prey on young girls. Predators use anonymous accounts, so it’s difficult to identify them, but Terre des Hommes works to “catch them in the act” and?collect info bit by bit until they can identify them. The research is done without hacking computers — they use Facebook, Google, etc…and then turn the perpetrator’s dossier over to Interpol.
Terre des Hommes believe that this horror can be stopped by calling on police and child protection authorities to help track down the predators. Watch this disturbing video.?Sign the petition. Share this story.
Original video/content?by?Terre des Hommes.?Learn more about the issue?and?sign their petition.
Tiffany Willis is the founder and editor-in-chief of Liberal America. An unapologetic member of the Christian Left, she has spent most of her career actively working with ?the least of these? and disadvantaged and oppressed populations. She’s passionate about their struggles. To stay on top of topics she discusses,?subscribe to her public updates on Facebook,?follow her on Twitter, or?connect with her via LinkedIn. She also have a?grossly neglected personal blog?and a?literary quotes blog that is a labor of love. Find her somewhere and join the discussion.
h/t Upworthy
