Man ‘grooms’ boys to send naked pics

A man allegedly used computer game rewards to convince 25 teens to send him sexual pictures over the internet

A 28-year-old man has been charged with luring 25 young boys into sending nude pictures of themselves to him over the internet, in some cases performing sexual acts.

The man is being prosecuted in Copenhagen City Court for ‘grooming’, where he allegedly used the online computer game ‘World of Warcraft’ to get the 12-16 year-old boys to transmit pictures or film clips to him.

According to the charges, the man had a significant amount of ‘gold’ in the game, which can be used to upgrade a player’s strength or abilities. He allegedly offered the boys gold in exchange for the pictures, which in some instances involved live webcam videos of masturbation.

Prosecutors say the man had around 10,000 illegal pictures and 1200 videos of naked underage boys on his computer at the time of the arrest. It is not yet known how many of the subjects are Danish.

The man chatted with the boys on the World of Warcraft website and also via MSN Messenger, where more private exchanges could take place.

The accused told the court that he neither enticed nor pressured the boys into anything, although he admitted receiving the materials.

A ruling on the matter from the court is expected to be issued by next Friday.

Comments

Only CPHPOST registered users can write comments!

damestjernelys - Absolutely sick

|2010-02-05 17:49:10

The type of punishment this man deserves won't be meted out to him. Hell, even a suitable prison sentence won't be under the Danish penal code. I wonder how the government's doing with the talk of mandatory chemical castration, then?

Because let's be honest here, folks, this guy isn't going to rehabilitate by a little stay and prison and talking to a shrink.

David Macphail - I Don't Know Who's Worse.

|2010-02-07 23:25:07

OK, obviously what the man did was perverted and sick. However it's not like the "Victims" deserve any sympathy either. How stupid and desperate do you have to be to actually participate in live Webcam masturbation just to get ahead in an online game??? That is equally sick and pathetic.

12 - 16 is more than old enough to tell when something just isn't right. If they're willing to do that for pretend Gold then i can only imagine what those boys end up becoming later on in their life.

In a case like this there are no victims.....both partys involved are obviously sick in the head.

tomnashdk

|2010-02-08 13:14:26

At the risk of igniting a firestorm here, this is also one of those areas where the parents are not taking as much interest in what their children are doing online as they should. Before anyone does the typical Danish diversion reaction, "Oh YEAH? well in YOUR COUNTRY you parents (blah blah blah)...", that is not an excuse. Two wrongs do not make a right. DK parents share some culpability here as well (just as they would in my country.)

dianecarole - Liberal attitudes to sex..

|2010-02-08 14:25:37

..may play a little part here. If parents think it is okay for children to have sex at a young age, then children get the idea that this is okay. I was shocked that one of my 'Danish relatives' thought it was okay for a 12 year old to have sex, and she is a child psychologist who works in schools! I think Denmark needs to rethink its attitude! They are happy to provide 12 year old children with condoms, and let them sleep in the same room, but then get shocked when something happens like this. It actually surprises me that they think there is anything wrong!
Just for the record, I do not think it is okay for 12 year old children to even be thinking about sex. I do not let my boy’s girlfriend sleep in the same room as him, and am happy to be described by him in unpleasant terms if necessary.

Heidi aka MissFuzzy

|2010-02-08 19:30:27

I know it's not good to blame the victims here, but whenever I read something like this, all I can think about is something my hairdresser in Boston said once:

"If the Internet had been around when I was a young guy, I'm sure I'd have been abducted!"

But yeah, a little supervision would be a good idea, parents!

damestjernelys - Diane,

|2010-02-09 11:26:23

I'm not Dansh and I'd rather see schools passing out condoms to students (and PLEASE teach them how to USE them properly while passing them out,) giving them thorough sex education and the whole nine yards as early as possible than not.

Reality is that some kids DO start thinking about sex at age 12 or 13 and I'd rather see them armed with the knowledge and tools they need to deal with those thoughts and act on them if that's what they choose to do in a SAFE and PROPER manner rather than in an irresponsible and ignorant one.

My own belief on when a child is ready to have sex is this: They're ready when THEY feel they're ready; not when I do, you do or anyone else does.

I do not, however, believe that tweens and teens going through puberty and parents who don't tell them to stifle their hormones under a cast-iron chastity belt are to blame for what's happened here.

I was a raging hormone who often acted on them when the internet was still a relatively new thing. My answer to the naked picture question was always this: NO F---ing WAY!

Tom brings up a good point; the parents of these children share a responsibility because they weren't taking an active interest in their children's internet activities and for not teaching them about proper internet safety. They should have been. I agree with him on that.

The predator on WoW is also to blame.

We can say that the kids should've known better, shouldn't have been so desperate, etc. and it's correct.. but, if no one bothered to TEACH them about these things and how to deal with them, then you can't really lay blame on the children. The blame has to go to the adults who failed to instill the necessary values and knowledge they need in them.

dianecarole - damestjernelys

|2010-02-09 12:54:05

I think we do agree....we both want the children educated.

My problem is with adults who almost pressured a 12 year old girl (their daughter/ grandaughter) to have sex, by keep asking her if she had ' done it yet?'. She felt pressured by constantly being told " you know where the condoms are". She was not ready, and was sensible enough to ask another (me) if I thought she should be having sex yet! I said not until she was 100% sure it was the right guy, and that it was her decision and not pressure from anyone else (friends/family/the boy/media etc). She should never do anything she thought she might regret in the morning.

There is a big difference between talking about sex and actively encouraging it.

damestjernelys - Diane,

|2010-02-09 15:03:24

I honestly think some family members don't truly realise that their paranoia about whether or not their child/grandchild is having sex can be regarded by that child as pressure to have it and that the adults expect them to. They don't stop and think "Gee, if I keep asking, aren't they going to assume I rather WANT them to get it done and over with?"

Perhaps schools should offer sex education classes... for parents. ;)

I'm glad that girl had the sense to ask you for sound advice instead of trying to sort things out for herself. So many don't ask for help and end up making choices that come with terrible consequences.

damestjernelys - Diane,

|2010-02-09 15:05:50

Name:	*
Username:	*
E-mail:	*
Password:	*
Verify Password:	*
Fields marked with an asterisk (*) are required.

Man ‘grooms’ boys to send naked pics

Latest News

Latest Comment

Most Read

Focus on

Failing the grade

Home sweet home?

A gift in a time of crisis

Copenhagen Podcast