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The days of “To Catch a Predator” might be waning. Researchers in the Netherlands have created a safer alternative to rounding up men who prey on young girls through the Internet. Meet Sweetie — a computer-generated 10-year-old Filipino girl.
"Everyday I have to sit in front of the webcam and talk to men just like tens of thousands of other kids. The men ask me to talk off my clothes. They undress. They play with themselves. They want me to play with myself." (Via YouTube / Sweetie)
Researchers say Sweetie was "swamped" daily by thousands of men looking for contact with her through webcams and willing to pay for it. (Via NBC)
"As soon as I go online they come to me. … But what they don't know, I'm not real. Sweetie was created by a Dutch charity to flush out online child abusers across the globe." (Via Sky News)
"The organization … has given Interpol the identities of the predators who could now be prosecuted. From 71 countries including 254 form the U.S., 110 from Britain, 103 from India." And 54 from Canada. (Via CTV)
Although only a small percentage of the predators could be identified, researchers say the news that Sweetie is actually a computer-generated child, will hopefully be enough to make the predators think twice next time.
"We're now dealing with tens of thousands of children who are victims of this new phenomenon, so there is definitely an increase, because 2-3 years ago there were none."(Via BBC)
Now that her identity has been made public, Sweetie won’t be used again as she has done her job — showing predators they can just as easily become prey.
However, the organization that created Sweetie has launch an international campaign to try and help children forced into the webcam child sex tourism trade. (Via Terre des Hommes)
- See more at Newsy.com
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