Fantasy depictions of child sexual abuse: The problem of ageplay in Second Life

Abstract

This paper explores the arguments put forward for prohibiting the possession of fantasy images of child sexual abuse within the Coroners and Justice Act 2009, and applies them to sexual ageplay in Second Life. Sexual ageplay is the virtual act of simulating child sexual abuse using animated child characters operated by consenting adult users. The arguments underpinning the legislation centre on the issue of harm and the relationship between online, virtual behaviour and real world contact offences. It is argued that extant research does not support a causal connection, although some work on fantasy offence planning and online paedophilia chat groups suggests a link. Due to the lack of empirical work in the area it is concluded that legislation to criminalise such behaviour on grounds of harm causation is currently unjustified, although prohibition of sexual ageplay for known sex offenders is recommended. Further research into the extent, use and effects of sexual ageplay is required.

The virtual simulation of child sexual abuse: online gameworld users’ views, understanding and responses to sexual ageplay

“…(Periate) Periate sums up why sexual ageplay is considered unacceptable and immoral by many residents: because it is indicative of a RL sexual interest in children that could potentially lead to real-world offending. Although there is some debate about just how directly related sexual ageplay and real world offending is (Reeves 2013), no resident defends sexual ageplay (though this may be because the act is against the Community Standards), however, Periate goes on to argue that the same is true of rape and torture groups in SL as they devalue women, and other residents do disagree openly about this, calling it only fantasy role-play even when they have just agreed with the wrongness of sexual ageplay:…”

“…Sexual ageplay can arguably be encompassed under legislation on fantasy images of child abuse (Reeves 2013). Some jurisdictions, such as England and Wales though the Coroners and Justice Act 2009, have made possession of fantasy images 1 illegal based upon arguments that relate such imagery to the normalisation of child sexuality, exploitation and abuse, as well as correlate it with other criminal activity, such as grooming of children and possession of real life child abuse images.…”

“…In real life, such behaviours between consenting adults may be considered as unusual, a fetish, or even deviant, but they are not illegal because they are all consenting adults (Richards 2015). However, although virtual sexual ageplay is essentially the same behaviour but online, it is regarded as much more problematic: as the simulated sexual abuse of children in online environments (Reeves 2013). Online sexual ageplay is, therefore, regarded as evidence of a sexual interest in children as the adult players of child computer characters (known as avatars) choose to use them to act out scenes of child sexual abuse either between other adults playing as children, or adults playing as adults, or adults playing as other types of avatars.…”

“…Thus, while online sexual ageplay, in itself, has no direct involvement with real life (RL) children and is only a simulation or pretence of child sexual abuse, it is considered as having indirect harms. This is particularly in light of gathering international concern round the anonymity and freedom of the online world which facilitates social networking and the sharing of real and digitally-created child sexual abuse images, as well as the potential harms of viewing fantasy images of such abuse related to child sexualisation as well as the normalisation of a sexual interest in children, which is argued to increase the likelihood of real world offending (c.f., Levy 2002;Kierkegaard 2008;Meek-Prieto 2008;Wilson 2009;Luck 2009;Nair 2010;Reeves 2013).…”

Understanding Online Child Sexual Exploitation Offenses

“…This includes animated or virtual children, digitally altered images, adults appearing as children, and literature describing abuse of children [2••, 6]. Although the production of such materials does not require sexually harming an actual child, Reeves (2013) cautioned that virtual images and other sexual materials not depicting actual children may still reinforce deviant sexual interests in children.…”