Sky News targets sexual ageplay in Second Life again
Filed under: Video, Culture, Events, in-game, News items, Second Life, Virtual worlds
Sky's Five News reporter Jason Farrell who broke the Wonderland Scandal last year, has been back in Second Life with a young girl avatar, and hooked up with an adult avatar for sex at another site created by the creators of the now-removed Wonderland.
Second Life users had previously complained about the Wonderland site in Second Life for some time, particularly those users who had avatars that were either juvenile in appearance or diminutive, but virtual world operator Linden Lab took no action against Wonderland, claiming there was "no firm evidence of wrongdoing" -- nevertheless, the Wonderland site disappeared, apparently due to Linden Lab intervention sometime after the whole mess hit the mainstream media.
Sky/Five News is organizing a debate at the Sky News center in Second Life on Wednesday 5 March at 1AM SLT (US Pacific time) "where a panel of experts including the head of Child Online Protection in Britain will debate whether real world rules should apply in virtual worlds."
Considering real world rules already apply in virtual worlds, it's either going to be a very short debate or a media puff event, we think. In our experience sexual ageplay seems to be no more (and somewhat less) prevalent in Second Life than in any other handle-based online venue, but right at the moment, any mainstream media reporting on Second Life, particularly of a scandalous nature, is good for sales.
The video report is two minutes, sixteen seconds long and you can view it here. It may make some viewers uncomfortable.
We have contacted Linden Lab for comment and for additional information.
Updates: Linden Lab responds, and a live report of the 'debate' (despite shoddy audio quality)
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Eloise Pasteur said on 11:33PM 3-03-2008
OK, as a British resident I have some pointed questions. Not about whether simulated kiddy sex should be allowed in SL, but about this report:
1) Just how long did it take him to find this place? I don't go looking for such material, but I certainly don't remember stumbling over it, and I do spend a fair bit of time in mature areas.
2) Who on earth are Kidscape? I had to look them up. There are a load of organisations I'd have expected to see before a charity I'd never heard of - CEOP, NSPCC, Social Services. Why did he pick them for his piece?
Sorry. Whilst I'm broadly in absolutely in favour of paedophile material being banned, and broadly OK about banning sexual adult-child ageplay too, I'm wondering just how hard he had to search to find this place. I'm not saying it's not there and it shouldn't be reported, but it's like stories suggesting that every priest in the Catholic Church is a paedophile. Some are, certainly. There are some, despite every precaution, in just about every walk of life after all. I'll lay long odds that Second Life is actually cleaner than real life for this sort of activity, the exact opposite of the picture he's trying to paint.
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Patchouli Woollahra said on 4:10AM 3-04-2008
You'll recall that during the earlier Wonderland "scandal", "journo" Jason Farrell attempted to trap one of our older residents, Tiberious Neruda, in false accusations of paedophilia.
I'm in a position to reveal that Farrell said one thing and abruptly turned back and bit Tibby over voice... (this was provided on television in Sky News) which unlike SL's text chat has zero logging facilities built into the servers.
I have to question the bona fides of a reporter who is not willing to submit to logging facilities where these are provided while investigating a story.
Confound it, Mr Farrell, you're a journalist, not a novelist:
state the facts, and let them stand on their own. Puffing facts up is for manfacturers of marshmallows, balloons and safety airbags.
tired said on 4:18AM 3-04-2008
1 The area would be fairly quick and easy to find. It is owned/
rented/promoted by the same person who had wonderland.
Makes sense for the story to be followed up given that person is
still within SL, still promoting this stuff (she also has an group
'incest') and, attending governance meetings with LL staff.
This person has been reported on innumerable occasions by
many residents, long before channel 5 and sky picked up the
story, and LL chose to take no action.
2 Kidscape and Michelle Elliot have a fairly high profile with those
people working in the field of child abuse and children's rights.
Both the NSPCC and CEOP were quoted in Jason Farrell's
previous report on wonderland expressing their concerns.
Indeed, CEOP now have a presence within SL and will have a
representative at the sky news discussion on Wednesday
morning in SL.
Whilst the reports were certainly tabloidesque in nature, I think it's still important, and useful, that this issue is highlighted and puts pressure on LL to take action.
It might be good for sales for the media to highlight particular areas or issues, but it's also good for those of us who have worked within children's rights, child protection or anti-abuse organisations who are aware of the potential for harm.
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Patchouli Woollahra said on 4:30AM 3-04-2008
There is no room for child abuse under me, and any effort that stops it from occurring is something that I can get behind.
However, Mr Farrell is conflating child abuse and consensual roleplay. Whilst it may be illegal in Second Life to engage in Second Life, I was under the understanding that the Wonderland build was meant purely for non-sexual ageplay when it existed.
I would also question the nature of a group with 'incest' as well: incest can occur in various forms, some patently illegal and unnatural, others merely unethical. all the resident may be guilty of as a member of a group called 'incest' is having some proclivities that your idea of society considers unacceptable.
Who am I to tell you how you should live your life? Who are you to tell me how I should live mine?
Loki said on 5:52AM 3-04-2008
Just shows Linden Lab up again, that wonderland took so long to close down, and that the person behind wonderland is able to come back into SL and promote this stuff again. The debate will be pointless as they who are debating dont know what they are debating about, its all a stunt.
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TigroSpottystripes Katsu said on 4:49PM 3-04-2008
in my opinion, the people that believe what two (or more) consenting adults like to pretend they are and are doing might be wrong are way sicker than the consenting adults that enjoy playing whatever make-believe "game" they feel like
(I'm not talking about the people that rape 3 year olds and such, I'm talking about adults that like to play with dolls and/or put on costumes to have fun)
I can barelly wait till SL starts having most of it's (important) parts owned by individuals instead of by people like LL, that way people will not have to abide to some purist press-asskissing policies such as the ones often used by LL (you know, like how websites work right now, if you're current provider doesn't like you hosting drawings of video-game characters playing with "joysticks" then just hire another provider, or host it on your own system(s)
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Marianne McCann said on 4:59PM 3-04-2008
Like others, I question Ferrel Fitzpatrick's motives: he's busy looking for a sensational story. I only regret that this "public meeting" wasn't at a better time.
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Alyx Sands said on 5:31PM 3-04-2008
Mari, I'm not in the UK, but even for Germany the time is okay-I'll try to go there. If I can get in, Ill try saving a transcript.
Marianne McCann said on 5:38PM 3-04-2008
Thankoo, Alyx! That woudl be *great!*