Berlin
German prosecutors are trying to identify anonymous participants in the online computer game Second Life who having been having virtual sex with virtual children. Second Life is open only to players 18 and over, but some participants choose underage characters as their online personas. At least one German player is selling pornographic images of underage characters for use in the game. In the U.S., possession of simulated or virtual child porn is not a crime, but in Germany it is punishable by up to five years in prison. The San Francisco firm Linden Lab, which operates Second Life, said it would cooperate in the German investigation.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
The ‘ravenous’ demand for Cornish mineralsUnder the Radar Growing need for critical minerals to power tech has intensified ‘appetite’ for lithium, which could be a ‘huge boon’ for local economy
-
Why are election experts taking Trump’s midterm threats seriously?IN THE SPOTLIGHT As the president muses about polling place deployments and a centralized electoral system aimed at one-party control, lawmakers are taking this administration at its word
-
‘Restaurateurs have become millionaires’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
