The internet isn't new about phishing pedophiles but it appears that these criminals have now invaded popular games in search for unwitting victims. According to the new report, the sexual offenses, primarily involving child pornography, in these video games have quadrupled over the past five years - to which, the U.K.'s leading children's charity deemed to be "deeply concerning." To grasp the severity of the situation, here are some of the recent sexual offenses linked to these video games.
World Of Warcraft
As reported by GloucestershireLive, police forces in England and Wales have provided details linking Blizzard's popular MMORPG, World of Warcraft and child pornography. Based on their report, as of 2016, there had been a total of 68 recorded crimes attributed to these sexual offenders and one of the most recent incidents involved a 10-year-old girl being "groomed" via IMVU. Due to the alarming incidents, NSPCC urges developers to provide greater regulation of the industry and help mitigate these issues.
Minecraft
Mojang's sandbox video game, Minecraft is also on the hot seat following the case probed by Yorkshire Police involving six children who were persuaded to send explicit photos online. According to the report, the victims' ages range from 13-16. There is also a case in Bedfordshire where a 35-year-old man was caught possessing an indecent photo of a child to which he received via Minecraft.
Avakin Life
In Durham, a pedophile was apprehended after he was caught red-handed performing sexual activity with a child under 13. The victim stated that the culprit first made contact on Avakin Life, a 3D video game tailored for fashion lovers.
GloucestershireLive also reported that these pedophiles also infiltrate mobile games such as Supercell's Clash of Clans; where they make contact with victims, randomly, via Clans and Global Chat. Check back for more gaming news and updates!
