Article in NY Times today:

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/19/nation...ssyahoo&emc=rss

Ken

EVERYONE here should go to this article and watch the video interview with Justin Berry. At the age of 13 he got a webcam and soon got noticed by pedophiles who paid him money to show his chest and then gradually do more and more. The payoff wasn't just money, but affection and approval for a kid who felt he was unpopular in real life.

He's now 19 and as abused and messed up as any of us ever were. My heart goes out to this boy.

Larry

What a dramatic story.

Unfortunately I think that there would be many more opportunities for predators to find victims with new computer and net applications for many years to come…

We are living in modern jungles.

Ivo

Its just hit the press over here, tragic and extremely sad.

Kirk

My mind just wants to shut down and not think about it. Too much.

John

Kirk,

Yes, I saw it on the front page of the Times today. The NYT video interview is powerful and pulls no punches, but it is worth watching. You can see this kid losing his cool and falling apart in the latter part of the interview.

He made a fortune, but it messed him up so bad he blew the money on drugs and became an addict, all before the age of 18.

The only good side to this is that now he is a federal witness and has turned over all his records, including IP addresses, Paypal transaction records, everything, to the FBI. His "clients" included doctors, pediatricians, lawyers, schoolteachers, etc.

Some people are beginning to sweat I am sure, but they will never feel as this poor kid feels now.

John,

I can imagine how you feel bro. This kid is one of us. No, he IS us, repeating the whole cycle of trickery and exploitation all over again in front of the world.

Larry

This was a tragic story that cut me to the quick. The pictures of this kid in his youth didn't help much either. I feel bad for him, and I worry about kids in general. I hope he gets it worked out and recovers. The story can be triggering, but it is a good read, but it will make you want to punch somebody even if you're a pacifist. They shouldn't call it grooming. Grooming means to clean up, right? What they do is the opposite.