My regular readers (both) certainly remember my recent post about child pornography and pedophile behavior in Second Life. I actually announced in the comments back then, that I was tempted to look deeper into this scene. And write about it.
I was a bit hesitant at first. But hey, good journalists walk on dangerous grounds too. Of course, it would be rather silly to go and conduct interviews as Caroline Resident. No chance to get anywhere near the truth.
A job for one of my numerous ALTs.
You have seen her before on here in various disguises. Reanimated her and a few changes later she became the perfect bait. I think in the scene it’s actually called jail bait.
For a reason. Lets call her Little S.
Officially she is 14. But honestly: She doesn’t look the part to be 14 really. In fact most people I got to guess her SL-age gave her something between 11 and 13 years. See featured picture for reference.
However, profile states teen, 14 years of age. Real life tab states 18+.
One great advantage this account has is that it has matured. Meaning it is almost 4 years old. Setting up brand new ALT#s for an under cover mission, doesn’t work that well. The reason being is simple: People in Second Life mistrust new accounts.
I soon found out, that people in this scene are very nervous about talking to new avatars. They suspect it is somebody spying on them. Maybe even somebody they know (such as girl friends) or people who “bait” them and afterward report them to the Lindens.
Or, god forbid, they might even be sneaky bloggers :-). Bastards!
Before I go into the story, let me clarify the legal stance on this. In the US where most of the Second Life Residents come from, age play in virtual worlds and making pictures of it is actually legal, as long as all real participants are older than 18. The age or the look of the avatar is irrelevant.
In Germany it is illegal to possess, make or show such pictures if the avatar represents a person younger than 14. Hence the reason, nothing like that to see here today.
Where to start?
That was an easy one. There is a “family orientated beach” in Second Life, which is actually infamous for being a meet & mingle place for those looking for very young flesh. And I mean very young.
It is called “Golden Sun”.
When I arrived there, nothing actually indicated at all, that it is such a place. In fact the opposite is the case. You get confronted with sim rules, chat messages and signs telling you: No, no, no this is not that kind of place, we fight against that.
The rules of the place are actually very explicit and clear about this. No sex play, no explicit language, no solicitation for escort services, no groups of sexual nature in profile, no picture of such content, no lingerie, no erections, no oversized tits, no lingerie. Nothing at all that could be interpreted as non G rated is allowed.
The list goes on, including group names or words in group names which are not allowed to be shown in the profile. It looks like they covered every possible angle to keep it super-duper-extra-clean.
There is one exception: Family friendly nudism is allowed. Whatever that might be exactly.
There are shops on the sim too. Surprise, surprise. Most of the shops deal with children’s clothing. Such es swimsuits fitting the so-called SMB bodies. Mesh bodies designed to create child avatars.
Super clean and so totally G.
Really? This smelled fishy to me. Very much so. My intuition was proven right pretty quickly.
On that beach are always a lot of people. All kind of people, from little kids, teens, families …and single adults. Mainly naked single adults. The kiddies and teens are for the most part dressed actually. Hardly anyone talking in local chat, a typical indicator that a lot of Im-ing is going on.
I got hit on, every single time by one of those single men. Most days even from several guys with obvious intentions.
I was asking one guy: “Hey, this G-rated, if a girl is inclined what you do?”
“My skybox is very high up somewhere, quite and protected, nobody can see us there”.
As I suspected:
Here is the meet, mingle and chat up place and from here they TP elsewhere (their secret private places) to get naughty. Simple.
Some of those guys shine a bit brighter than others. Most actually prefer a more subtle approach, using words like “fantasy” instead of sex, “preferences” instead of horny for young girls, “place with less lag” instead of my sex-skybox.
But some are downright stupid. Almost shouting: “Ban me please!”. Want an example?
Here we go:
There was this guy with the very imaginative name “inudeep”. So G-rated profile too. After a bit of chatting, he offered to go surfing on another beach. Ok, nothing wrong with that so far. I wanted to know, how far he would be going, what his next move would be.
We TP-ed to another beach. Fucking ADULT rated. I tell you a secret. The quickest way to get reported is going to a public ADULT rated location with a teen or even a pre-teen avatar. To top it all up, he got touchy using the menu of the beach bed I was originally sitting on my own.
That was the moment I did hit the little red cross on the right top of the viewer. The beauty of Second Life: You can stop any scene you are uncomfortable with in a second.
I had one day the chance to actually talk to staff of the place. Here is how that went:
Me: Hi June
Me: can i ask you something as you apparently work here?
Her: Hello
Her: Sure !
Me: But before please understand its just curiosity I am not judgmental or something. Ok, this is a G rated family sim as by the rules. However I have the feeling it is also a dating place for guys looking for very young girls. Is that something the owner knows about or even tolerates?
Her: Yes, we do know about that. But we don’t really tolerate it. We try to keep out the pervs as much as possible, but at a place like this (with the ‘clothing optional’ rule, and the fact that all ages are welcome here) it’s almost impossible to keep it 100% ‘clean’.
Me: well its a lot actually, and again i have no issues with that. Its in the us even legal as long as both players are adults. I am just curious about it as I see it every time I am here and the Linden TOS are kinda strict about it. So “we don’t really tolerate it” kinda means that as long as in IM and as long as nothing actually happens here, ist sort of ok?
Her: Yes… We can’t judge on what’s happening in IM, until people start complaining about that.
Me: fair enough
Her: Besides that, we can’t use IM conversations as ‘evidence’ if both parties didn’t give their ok on that.
Me: Well, as sim owner you don’t need evidence actually, you can do what you want on a private estate.
Her: True, we can ban for any reason we think of :). But of course we like to keep things fair.
Me: The place even has on other regions a reputation for this, which is what makes me wonder, its kinda told from one to another and the Linden seem to turn a blind eye to it.
Her: Oh I think they’re keeping an eye on Golden Sun!
Me: Hence the reason the rules are very strict here about tags, groups in profile, language and so on
Her: yes
Me: makes sense
Her: The profiles are still something that’s discussed a lot within staff
Me: To me personally doesn’t matter much, I no how to type “No” haha, and in fact I kinda make fun out of them.
Her: Yeah, some visitors can be a real pain sometimes, though :P. IM’ing me about someone asking for things in IM they don’t like. And I think: “Well then block them !”
Me: Well, cant they say no I don’t want that? The other Teens i met here so far are quite nice and have high fun factor.
Her: Hehe, yes! Besides all those pervs we get some nice visitors here 😀
I have some good news too: The success rate of the guys is not very high apparently.
The reason being is, that the teens who go there rather mingle with other teens. Not primarily for sex dates, but basically being with other SL-teens and have some fun.
Of course, some of those friendships might actually result in more than just “teening” around. In my opinion that is totally acceptable. Lets face it, when we were teens in real life, most of us did that.
It is part of a teenager life. Many of us have a smile on our faces when thinking about that first kiss, this first heart brake and that first time. Nothing wrong with re-living those happy moments in Second Life.
Nevertheless, it is not allowed by the Linden Lab TOS.
So hey, if you are a teenager in Second Life and you start some kind of relationship with another teenager, see the Lindens like you saw your real life parents back in those days. Be careful, Mom and Dad are watching you.
I visited another region too.
One that is really hard core. Compared to that, Golden Sun Beach is a monastry. Ok, as I was tying this, I realized this is a bad comparison.
But that is material for yet another under cover story.
To be continued, stay tuned.
Carol
Update:
Yes, the golden sun beach resort is definitely a hook up place for ageplay. I have been there several times now, and every single time I got approached with the intention to have sex with my little girl avatar.
Of course they don’t do anything sexual on that beach. Once they found somebody to have sex with they go to their own places, typically a well hidden skybox.
My next move was simple.
I checked the profiles of people who go there. You typically get hints for similar places. This actually does not only apply to this sort of place, but to most types o destination.
Simply check peoples profiles for groups and picks and you typically find other places of the same stuff.
A good way to find your way around a theme.
Bingo.
Didn’t take me long to find related groups and places. The most surprising one is called Liwei. Why surprising? Because it is actually a sex place. Unlike Golden Sun, nothing is hidden here.
I wonder how such a place can actually survive. What is happening here is clearly against the Linden Lab TOS and in some countries it is actually a criminal ofense.
Open ageplay.
People not only go there to hook up, but to do it there and then.
There was a cellar, which was converted into a cell (see featured pic). Inside a typical kids room design. This is obviously for those who fantasize to have a young girl locked away and using her at his discretion.
A bit irritating to say the least.
Carol / Little S.
To ban people permanently over age play that can\’t be seen or even in an IM is a bit much when both are consenting adults. It is no worse than rape and zoophilia and murder etc. roleplay. I chatted with a resident that loved roleplaying rape every day. He told me he did it \’\’because it isn\’t illegal to rape a woman here because they want to be raped.\’\’ Roleplaying in SL isn\’t illegal, it is only illegal when a person knows the other person is a minor and wants to take it outside of SL into RL, that\’s when it becomes predatory. That by all means should be reported resulting in an immediate banned account.
I\’ve always made it a point to chat with a person behind the avatar in length to get a feel of their maturity level before I roleplay anything.
I got snagged simply by age playing in an IM I was just standing minding my business when I was IM\’ed About 30 minutes later I was logged out of SL with an email stating I was permanently banned. The woman (most likely a man) even told me she was 26 and liked roleplaying daddy/daughter because she was submissive and liked to be dominated. Because she told me her avatar\’s age and I went along with it, that made it age play. Simply roleplaying between to consenting adults, then BAM, fifteen years of residency out in the blink of an eye.
Doug,
Linden Lab has made up some rules for its residents. Before you join SL you actually need to agree to them. They are called the TOS (terms of service).
You have the choice to either accept them and be allowed to use Second Life or not to accept them and not be allowed to use Second Life.
It is really that simple.
Caroline
Yeah, I figured you would delete my post. Most people don’t like being told they are part of the problem and to mind their own business. That is fine. My message was delivered to my intended target, you and not your readers. Don’t worry about responding or myself becoming a problem. After I finish this post I’ll never be back to your blog again.
Recap on my post in case you didn’t get the message. Cartoon world in a video game. Nobody is harmed. Not a real problem. Best thing to do is mind your own business and make SL a happier place for everyone.
Oh and the email address is fake. Nothing responded to there will ever be read. So don’t bother.
Hello AK,
no I did not delete the comments. The blog is moderated, hence it might take a bit until I can approve a comment. I do appreciate and welcome comments including critical ones.
Did you know that comments are a ranking signal for Google?
Now you know.
Caroline
I got a ideal. Why don’t you mind your own business? Quite, honestly people like you are part of the problem. It is a freaking video game and people like you treat it like it’s real problem. These are cartoon characters in a cartoon world. Nobody is hurt by this, not even you. Who cares of a bunch of basement dwellers get off role playing sexual encounters that you might not approve of?
Repeat after me. Cartoon world, nobody harmed, none of my business.
MK,
I am a blogger. Blogger are hobby-journalists. We tend to be curious, research stuff and write about it. Nothing unusual, nothing to call home about. I will continue doing that. Because I can.
Caroline
Mk
Repeat after me:
Blogger! Female! Journalist! Hence most curious person on the grid! Everything on the grid is my business! Everything! Period!
Caroline
Btw:
How is the weather today in Oslo, must be friggin cold.
Caroline
It’s always the most unsuspecting sims you’d imagination having dirty deals going on in the background. Roleplay sims, stores, adoption centres etc. have you thought about investigating into other groups and fetishes or maybe transforming an alt into a male avi and seeing what it’s like for a month being male (dressing and designing a male avi, finding a job, becoming a master, becoming a sub, find a sugar mama? maybe lol)
I actually started a storyline like that 🙂
But will puplish it on a blog on its own.
🙂
Carol
Yea GS can be a hotspot for pickup, but one thing about these child avatars you need to remember is they are adults behind there, living a life they can not live in real life.. I say better there then irl so I dont care to much, every country has their laws by their people, some are dumb some are smart but its all perspective (( Yes it is sad that they get off on torture at least some of them, but I also remember being a kid irl an i used to have odd ideas)) But then i was an abuse victim lol I have spoken to so many different people they use it as a coping tool..
The BIG issue in the states an a few other places is mental health guidline, in the states if you admit to having an atraction to anyone under 18 they report you, even if you never done a thing an your PC or Laptop gets investigated with no guarantee you will get it back..
So I ask you as a human who is looking at the virtual world for truth, to write about the lack of mental health causing SL to be flooded with sick an hurting people.