A website designed to talk to strangers has become a haven for child sex predators, expert says
CBC
WARNING: This story contains disturbing details about child sex crimes and graphic sexual content.
A southwestern Manitoba man's conviction for abusing an underage girl has spurred a U.S. lawsuit accusing a video chat website of knowingly matching kids with adults on a site that critics say is primarily used for live sexual activity.
Omegle advertises itself as a platform to "talk to strangers," but critics say it is a safe haven for child sex predators.
When CBC reporters spent time on the site, they discovered that darker reality.
The website and its design are at the heart of a $22-million lawsuit filed by an American woman, known as A.M., who was 11 years old in 2014 when Omegle paired her with a man in his late 30s from Brandon, Man.
The man, now 46, forced her to send naked photos and videos of herself engaging in sexual acts, according to the lawsuit, filed in November in the U.S. District Court in Portland.
"She suffered for three years being at her predator's beck and call. And he tortured her," said Carrie Goldberg, of the C.A. Goldberg Law Firm in New York, which represents A.M.
"She lived in constant fear that he was going to come physically and kidnap her."
The U.S.-based website has a simple design: a person goes on and can type in a keyword to find someone with similar interests or they can leave it blank. They then decide if they want to text or video chat live with a stranger.
It does not require a user to log in with an email or username, and doesn't ask for an age. Instead, someone is instantly connected with a randomized person identified only as "Stranger."
To get a better understanding of how the website operates, a CBC reporter spent an hour on the website, identifying herself as a journalist and speaking to Omegle users.
During that time, the reporter was matched with a man who admitted to masturbating in front of children.
The reporter was paired with this man because they both put the word "Roblox" — an online game popular with children — as a keyword.
The man, who was visibly naked but only showing his chest, stomach and legs, said he was 27.
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WARNING: This story details allegations of child abuse and includes graphic content.
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