Four New Zealanders Caught in International Sex Sting Using Virtual 10-Year-Old Filipina 'Sweetie'

Four suspected pedophiles have been reportedly caught in an international sex sting involving a computer-generated 10-year-old child named "Sweetie." The New Zealanders had allegedly offered to pay for "Sweetie" to give them an online sex show.

Terre des Hommes, a children's rights organisation based in Netherlands, has identified 1,000 adults who were willing to pay money to see children perform sexual acts in front of a web cam in developing countries.

The Dutch organisation has employed the aid of virtual Filipino child as the bait for the international sex sting operation. Researchers have identified adults from 65 countries who wanted to see the girl naked. Terre des Hommes handed the footage of child predators to Interpol. Among the names listed belong to four New Zealanders, according to a One News report.

Researchers operated chat rooms in a remote Amsterdam building for the international operation. The Dutch group said over 20,000 child predators were recorded and offered the virtual child "Sweetie" money to perform sex acts in front of the web cam.

While "Sweetie" chats with the child predators, researchers will try to gather evidence about the viewers in social media and find their real identities. The children's rights organisation plans to use the evidence in a global petition to call on governments to implement proactive investigation to apprehend child predators.

In one chat conversation, a man with the username "Older4young" asked Sweetie her age. When the virtual Sweetie replied that she was 10 years old, he replied: "mmmmmm... I like that. My daughter is your age. Are you a virgin?" The news report said the man offered to pay the girl $10 to see her naked.

Based on the data, the highest number of men looking for sexual contact came from the U.S. at 254. Britain came in second with 110 men followed by India with 103.

The results of investigation for 10 weeks were "shocking", according to Terre des Hommes director of campaigns Hans Guyt. He said the chat rooms they operated were swamped with men looking for sexual contact with children. He said if governments will not interfere and curb the activities of child predators on the Internet, the results may go out of hand.