Chatroom Danger: The 60 second route to abuse
Published: 15 Mar 2001 13:12 GMT
Chatrooms entitled "11-16 year old sluts for 30+ men" and "Younger women for older men" were flagged to Yahoo! UK for their adult-rated content in October last year. The rooms categorised under the heading "Romance" still exist, with suspected paedophiles frequently using them in order to "groom" vulnerable children online.
"It is clear from the research we have done that Net-savvy paedophiles have been given a new tool to seek out and harm children online. I have to conclude after nearly four months covering this problem that neither the industry nor the companies offering these services have the commitment to deal effectively with this issue," said Richard Barry, who led the investigation for ZDNet News.
ZDNet News used a false identity to register with Yahoo!'s Messenger client. The sign-up process requires a user to be over 18, but since no proof of identity is required, it is possible for any minor to lie about their age. Once in the chatroom, pseudonyms of girls aged 12 or 13 were used.
In each conversation, it was a matter of seconds before the "girl" was hit with adult solicitations. The more sophisticated and cautious paedophile would often be open about their age, but patient in establishing a sense of trust in the child. "They do this by talking about the trials of being a young adult, and try to get a clear picture in their mind of the child's set-up at home. Once they have gained this trust and built up a 'friendship', the conversation then starts to turn sexual," Barry explained.
A typical ruse employed by paedophiles is when the predator asks the victim what she is wearing. This is usually followed by asking her to take something off such as her underwear. The more cunning paedophile will say something more innocuous like "do you enjoy taking showers", swiftly followed by "do you touch yourself in the bath?" It is also commonplace to ask the girl if she has pubic hair in order to build up a mental picture of her level of physical maturity.
The intention of most paedophiles is to engage the girl in cybersex activities. As the following excerpt from a real conversation highlights, little evidence of response or participation is needed from the girl in order for the man to continue the solicitation.
Example of real conversation:
Man: is your room locked?
Man: will you spread your legs and touch your pussy...
Girl: what?
Man: is it good?
Girl: what?
Man: spread your legs
Example of real conversation:
We can talk about this because can't we?
Girl: OK
Man: Do you put your fingers inside you?
Girl: Why?
Man: How many can you put inside you?
Girl: No
Man: I want to be inside you now
During the investigation, responses were kept as bland as possible without putting off the subject. "The whole purpose was to establish how far the paedophile would go -- it's a very difficult line to tread," explained Barry. ZDNet has received advice from the Paedophile Unit at New Scotland Yard and Charing Cross Clubs and Vice Squad on how to conduct the conversations.
ZDNet's first hand experience proves how difficult it is for children to step out of the adult-rated conversations that they can so easily get caught up in. "The way in which the conversation goes invites you into their [the paedophile's] personal life. You become embroiled in this person's existence -- he makes you feel important as he looks forward to speaking to you," said Barry.
In addition to standard text chat offered by Yahoo! Messenger, there is also the facility for voice chat. Child psychologists agree that voice has the ability to capture a child's attention more effectively than text. It is more immediate, and bypasses the problem of children having a slow typing speed or poor spelling.
Barry explained how one paedophile, "Jim", would use his voice to instill a sense of calm in the child. "Jim had a well rehearsed tone -- he never raises his voice and makes good use of vocal gestures to amuse the child. The child will find the voice amusing and compelling. They feel they are in a real relationship with these men and see them as special."
Yahoo! refuses to comment on this or any other evidence ZDNet has brought to its attention during this investigation
What are the risks of paedophiles approaching my children through Yahoo! Messenger chatrooms? Find out the details of ZDNet News' investigation in the Chatroom Danger Special Report
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