The webcam phenomenon has been familiar for years, and many cam-girls in particular have seen it edging towards pornography. Some have become "camwhores". Now a big piece in The New York Times -- Through His Webcam, a Boy Joins a Sordid Online World -- has taken the lid off this sordid business.
In this virtual universe, adults hunt for minors on legitimate sites used by Webcam owners who post contact information in hopes of attracting friends. If children respond to messages, adults spend time "grooming" them - with praise, attention and gifts - before seeking to persuade them to film themselves pornographically.
The lure is the prospect of easy money. Many teenagers solicit "donations," request gifts through sites like Amazon.com or negotiate payments, while a smaller number charge monthly fees. But there are other beneficiaries, including businesses, some witting and some unwitting, that provide services to the sites like Web hosting and payment processing.
The NYT focused on one case in particular, a star performer called Justin Berry. It says: "In its investigation, The Times obtained the names and credit card information for the 1,500 people who paid Justin to perform on camera, and analyzed the backgrounds of 300 of them nationwide. A majority of the sample consisted of doctors and lawyers, businessmen and teachers, many of whom work with children on a daily basis."
Some of them have now been arrested....
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