The focus has to be on the predatory behavior of boys who would decide to build a website that facilities the illegal trade in images and the online exploitation of girls
In the latest incarnation of porn culture, at least 2000 images of schoolgirls from 70 Australian schools have been traded through an online site set up by young Australian males. The men put girls on “wanted” lists for “hunting”. Bounties are placed on the heads of high demand girls whose images – sometimes with home addresses and phone numbers – are shared without consent. Some of the girls targeted have been reported to be as young as 13 and 14.
The explicit swap meet site was exposed by Nina Funnell writing for News.Com this week. . I’ve been responding to media requests since. (I’ve visited a number of the schools involved).
The men treat the images as trophies and conquests. The thrill is in the lack of consent. The language of porn is employed in their hunt for desired images. Some boys offer “hottest little teens”, another asks: “Who has nudes of this bitch?” Some girls have begged for their images to be removed, only to be mocked and humiliated further. It is clear the ring enjoys the ritual humiliation and shaming of the girls. They are violating consent for sexual thrills. As this writer observes: “They get off on your violation…owning a piece of you against your will.
And look how they are trying to cover their tracks. I hope so much that the law enforcement catches up with them soon (it’s not enough to say the site is registered ‘offshore’. Police cooperate across international borders on so many things – why not this?).
While we have seen a tonne of victim blaming, the focus has to be on the predatory behavior of boys who would decide to build a website that facilities the illegal trade in images and the online exploitation of girls.
What we are witnessing is yet another example of the destructive and degrading of porn and rape culture which is producing boys/men like this. Without addressing root causes, nothing will change (as some of us have been saying for about a decade).
And here’s a change.org petition to sign to get this site taken down.
THE website of an international pornography ring targeting female students at more than 70 Australian schools has been taken down thanks to the bravery of an underage girl who appeared on the sick forum.
She was just 15 when an explicit photo of her that appeared on the site was taken, and is still below the age of consent.
Acting Children’s e-Safety Commissioner Andree Wright today praised the girl as “brave”, saying that the office had contacted the site’s registrar over her case, and is aware the website has now been removed.
More than 2000 non-consensual sexual images of schoolgirls and other women were traded by Australian members since the group began operating in December last year.
There was a national outcry over the vile porn-sharing site used by young men as well as teenage boys targeting their peers, which has now been replaced by a regular porn website. Read more
See also:
‘Growing up in Pornland: Why girls have had it with porn conditioned boys’, MTR, ABC Religion & Ethics
‘When 5-year-olds create porn themes images in class’, MTR, Australian Childhood Foundation
