Second Life, the online virtual
community, is in trouble over
sex, writes rebecca newman |
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Linden Lab, the San Francisco company behind Second Life, has operated a laissez-faire administration. Residents of the virtual world have been able to create fantasy second lives with little curb on their behaviour. Inevitably this has meant a large chunk of the site is used for cyber sex, cruising and prostitution. Now things have gone too far, and Second Life is being investigated by the police.
Matters came to a head after an expose by German TV reporter Nick Schader. Shocked by the existence of Second Life groups dedicated to the perusal of virtual child pornography, Schader went undercover to a group meeting. There, he allegedly found members trading in underage pictures, and paying for virtual sex with players posing as children.
While in the US 'virtual' child pornography is legal, in Germany it is a crime, and police are looking into the case.
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| ‘Age play’ has
long been a subject of concern on the site’s forums |
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Schader also claims that members of the group offered to put him in touch with contacts who could sell him real-life child porn.
'Age play' - where a Second Life resident makes their online persona, or avatar, in the shape of a child, and is then sexually active - has long been a subject of concern on the site's discussion forums.
Linden Lab defends itself by pointing out that only adults can access the adult grid (there is a separate Second Life for teenagers), so why should they be stopped from role-playing in a consensual fashion?
The company has, however, outlawed the promotion of age play in public arenas. The effect this will have on the lucrative age play escort agencies remains to be seen.
As The First Post has reported, Second Life has faced real-world problems before, including dirty politics and crime. This is the first time that police have become involved. It is unlikely to be the last. 
FIRST POSTED MAY 13, 2007
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