Introduction

    While I was a graduate student at Penn State University in 2000, I took a course on domestic violence. For a final project the class divided into groups and was asked by our professor to explore various issues involving abuse against women and children. Each group was given a specific topic to explore and develop into a class presentation. My group was given the topic of child exploitation. Although my group members wanted to do a standard presentation with power point slides and statistics, I decided to travel a different route for my part of the assignment. In 2000, America and the rest of the world were in the middle of an internet boom. In my family I had many young cousins who were getting on the internet for the first times in their lives. For these reasons I was driven to explore the issue of child exploitation on the internet in a very personal way.

    I had decided for one week to pose as a teen chatter on the internet. I became “Caitlin”, a 13 year old junior level figure skater who traveled around the country for competitions and posted my information on a user profile that I created. I went into a chat room used for the discussion of a blockbuster movie from the previous year. The chatters in the room were predominantly teenagers who were goofing off in lighthearted conversation. After an hour or so during my first day in the room, I received two private messages from two older men. One man was very upfront with his lecherous intentions. After asking me if I were a virgin, he sent me a nude photo of himself without permission. The other man, who sent me a private message, although kindhearted and warm, I considered more dangerous than the other male chatter. I found myself slowing being lured in by him. I was charmed and I was almost compelled to tell this man that I was an adult. He asked about “Caitlin’s” family and friends. He encouraged her to finish school despite her desire to skate. Finally he asked “Caitlin” to share her skating schedule with him because he wanted to “support” her at her competitions.

    After my conversations ended with these men, I proceeded to report them to the internet provider in charge of the chat room. I sent the chat logs of each conversation I had with the men. Several hours later I received a response back from a representative of the internet provider. In a sarcastic tone through the email, I was told by the representative that his hands were tied since I was actually an adult. He concluded his email by telling me not to take people so seriously.