Today an Amsterdam-based NGO made public identities of 1,000
online sex offenders. The NGO created a digital persona, Sweetie, a 10-year old
Filipino girl. Over two and a half months they tracked the number of men
wanting to pay Sweetie for various inappropriate acts. They created a database
of 20,000 men across 71 countries. They have released what seems to be the first
list of 1,000 sex-offenders. USA topped with 200 odd; UK came next with 110 and
most shamefully, India is third: 103 men.
Should this be surprising? Hardly. A quick scan over
headlines of dailies and online publications for November 6th shows
at least half-a-dozen crimes against children aged up to 17 years including
rape and murder of a 5-year-old and rape and murder of a 17-year old girl by
her own father (supposed “honour” killing)!
So why this feeling of horror at the information released by
the Dutch agency?
Because most of those stories carried by the publications
involve uneducated men. Their behaviour is horrifying enough but to think
educated men slink into their rooms, switch on their computers and indulge in
filth and destruction of childhood is too disgusting and too much to bear.
It is thoroughly disturbing to know that these people are
probably the same trusted friends of families who abuse children of their
friends and extended families – now, increasingly their own daughters too.
End this abuse today. Please.