Shut Down Child Porn on Amazon

On Thanksgiving day, 2005, I went online to search for gymnastics gifts for my 7-year old boy. I found more than I was looking for! On Amazon.com I found videos that were basically child porn, wrapped in pretty packaging. Amazon says this is a censorship issue. I don't believe it is.

We DID IT!!!!!

As of 10pm last night, ALL BAIKAL FILMS WERE ORDERED PULLED!!!!! If not all, then all were promised to be pulled within 2-3 days. We're still waiting for an official all clear.

Just ONE thing -- don't stop the fight.

We need to watch Baikal and make sure they go to no other venues. Likewise, the child pornography laws listed in this blog need to be ammended so Baikal cannot slip through the cracks. Don't stop what you're doing! I received this from an ally and it makes SO much sense:

It hadn't fully dawned on me that the laws could and should be changed. And now with some clarity, I believe they should. If the exact "Child Pornography" law cannot be changed, we should have SOMETHING at the very least. A new bill can be introduced that will end films showing "boy lovers" and sex abuse or otherwise sexually perverse and degrading materials with children under age.

I will likewise support this with *gulp* leaving the blog up for a bit longer and/or changing its name.

Please send me any information you would have to help others complete this task. Let's not let this drop here. My e-mail is on this blog and you can use comments. I am specifically looking for info on how to send a letter, who to send it to, and in any form letters you wish to share for those who do not care to write their own.

Please also commend Amazon for seeing the problem and pulling the plug on Baikal Films, no matter what it took. They pulled the plug as they have in the past on things like this. Please give them credit where credit is due.

Do not stop watching. Be sure that ALL the films from Baikal are pulled. Double check than none slipped through. Then move forward and contact your local, state and federal governments about this law.

Gina - One happy mama

I am, however, going to continue to urge lawmakers to make the laws more clear.  Those videos weren't produced here in the [United States] which is great but they shouldn't be able to be purchased here in the [United States] either.  When I was reading the child pornography laws on the Department of Justice website they were unclear and the laws for obscenity are what a jury deems obscene, per a Supreme Court ruling.  I think the most helpful thing is to urge people to write their own letters to their elected officials, we are lucky to live where they are accessible by post, email and telephone.

December 02, 2005 in Any Progress Made | Permalink | Comments (12)

New Format

As the traffic grew, so did the comments and e-mails. I realized the blog was getting too long to access vital information. Any changes and new posts will now be contained within the 3-5 posts only. Search those for updates.

This is meant to be a temporary blog until there’s a solution only. I will pull the blog when Amazon pulls the videos.

So, I have trimmed the blog and will keep it to 3-5 posts only. While I was combining my posts, the HTML went on the fritz and I had to delete and re-post the entries. That deleted all the comments though! For that I am truly sorry!

Comments are welcome. I moderate them to be sure there's nothing of concern, but I do post negative and positive comments.

November 30, 2005 | Permalink | Comments (1)

How This Began

While looking for gymnastics books and videos for my son on Thanksgiving Day, I found a video called “Gym Boys”. In the reviews a Baikal Films (the maker) urges us to buy the DVD from their site. Going to the site I found that they sell videos from overseas. Banned videos, uncensored and with fully nude children.

Other reviews of Gym Boys said "The film has lots of replayability if you love boys" and that the film "comes in a white box".

Going thru Gym Boys, I found others on Amazon. Many of the reviewers are the same 2-3 men talking about the boys being in “nice refreshing showers”, the movie contains “contain 18 minutes of nude sauna/party action”, the movies being censored or uncensored for nudity. They say you get to know the boys in a “pleasant way” or that the boys are handsome. 

Some of the videos I saw on Amazon are called:

Gym Boys
Hippodrome Boys and Soccer Boys (2004)
Little Warriors
Little Warriors go to Summer Camp
Little Warriors 2

Cool Dudes
Fast Feet
Back Flip
The Genesis Children
Gods Little Angels
Little Champs
Boxer Boys
Siberian Scout Adventure
Circus Boys
Chippendiddys

Unfortunately this isn’t the only problem as I was perusing the videos. There are several more videos, mostly foreign, that are on listmania for those looking for boys. Lots of movies that seem to border on abuse. But the ones listed above are not artistic, foreign films. They’re not coming of age or about gay teens learning about themselves. By far, those by Baikal Films are blatant child pornography hidden behind the law or another country, intended to “please” men.

There are clearly a few individuals who are commenting on the Baikal films who are "boy lovers" (self described). There are others who are innocently purchasing these films who are taken aback by the nudity, the lack of voice over discussing the goals of the films, and the lack of actual filming of the supposed subject matter (for instance, a film on wrestling has rarely any views of real wrestling life of boys, but instead mostly disturbing scenes and repeated scenes of boys taking off their shirts).

The films are clearly meant to be rambling shots of as much nudity and other sights for grown men to "consume" as possible. They're shot in countries outside the US where the laws are less strict.

Comments about the films clearly have nothing to do with sports. It's all about the "handsome boys" in "steamy" scenes.

Let's clarify something so the rude e-mails and blog comments will stop. No, I have not seen the films. Like others who have looked, the reviews were enough for me. If you don't believe this, look up the reviews yourself, please. But please do not e-mail or send nasty comments. My goal is to get the film maker and films into the hands of the authorities. I hope the FBI will take a look and make their decisions.

Either way I would like to see the videos eradicated from Amazon. They may not be CLEARLY child pornography, but they’re clearly FOR child pornography viewers. I’m sure they can slip in under the radar with their films. Innocent families will purchase these films. Here’s a look at the US Child Pornography code (Title 18, section 2256) (Thanks Sarah for the information).

(8) “child pornography” means any visual depiction, including any photograph, film, video, picture, or computer or computer-generated image or picture, whether made or produced by electronic, mechanical, or other means, of sexually explicit conduct, where—

(A) the production of such visual depiction involves the use of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct;

(B) such visual depiction is a digital image, computer image, or computer-generated image that is, or is indistinguishable from, that of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct; or

(C) such visual depiction has been created, adapted, or modified to appear that an identifiable minor is engaging in sexually explicit conduct.


(A) Except as provided in subparagraph (B), “sexually explicit conduct” means actual or simulated—

(i) sexual intercourse, including genital-genital, oral-genital, anal-genital, or oral-anal, whether between persons of the same or opposite sex;
(ii) bestiality;
(iii) masturbation;
(iv) sadistic or masochistic abuse; or
(v) lascivious exhibition of the genitals or pubic area of any person;


(B) For purposes of subsection 8(B) [1] of this section, “sexually explicit conduct” means—

(i) graphic sexual intercourse, including genital-genital, oral-genital, anal-genital, or oral-anal, whether between persons of the same or opposite sex, or lascivious simulated sexual intercourse where the genitals, breast, or pubic area of any person is exhibited;
(ii) graphic or lascivious simulated;
(I) bestiality;
(II) masturbation; or
(III) sadistic or masochistic abuse; or
(iii) graphic or simulated lascivious exhibition of the genitals or pubic area of any person;

November 30, 2005 in About Child Pornography Online | Permalink | Comments (1)

What Can We Do?

Begin by sending this information to everyone you know to contact Amazon.com about the films. Myself and others have contacted them and they refuse to pull the videos, but if we all began contacting them regularly AND refusing to purchase, we might make enough of a difference. I feel confident there will be a positive resolution and we can go back to business as usual. But they need to KNOW why you are not purchasing. E-mail them and call them.

WHO DO WE CONTACT?

I would urge everyone to contact local and state media. Big and small newspapers in your area. TV stations and radio. Get this into the news and into hands bigger than ours. Send them to the blog, or answer interview questions yourself. We all make a huge difference.

Several of us have moved forward with contacting Amazon. One group contacted the staff of John Walsh who says they've passed it on to the FBI. I've contacted the American Family Association who runs the site onemillionmoms.com. The Oprah show was contacted by another group. Several ladies have contacted and heard from local TV and newspapers who wish to either research this or interview.

More news to come.

REMOVE THE REVIEWS, NOT THE VIDEOS?

No, I don't think that's enough. Without those reviews I would have purchased the Gym Boys video for my 7-year old son, thinking it was truly what it says it is. I think the reviews warn others like me.

I feel the videos themselves must be removed. Let Baikal sell them from their site only and keep them off of websites that families and those against child abuse spend their money on.

THE BLINKIE

I didn't commission this, but one wonderful group of women came up with it (specifically Avie F.). If you use this, either link it to the blog directly, or just leave it as is and answer e-mails. Please watch Amazon or the blog for a resolution and remove the blinkie as soon as the videos are pulled. Get it from http://tinypic.com/hx6lnq.gif

November 30, 2005 in What You Can Do | Permalink | Comments (3)

Amazon's Reply

I am sure that when this subject is raised by thousands and it's thoroughly looked into, there will be a resolution and the videos will be pulled. Until then, we continue....

I personally feel there is a difference between "objectionable" and "controversial" from outright child pornography. Amazon feels this is a censorship issue (see letter below). I do not feel this is one and the same. Being a writer and avid reader, I do not believe in censorship on the whole. But child pornography is a different beast. Amazon may not care about my feelings on the matter, but if more people knew what was going on, we might make a difference.

Excerpts from their letter:

"....our goal is to provide customers with the broadest selection possible so they can find, discover, and buy any item they might be seeking. That selection includes some items which many people may find objectionable....

Amazon.com believes it is censorship not to sell certain titles because we believe their message is objectionable.... we will continue to make controversial works available ..... except where they are prohibited by law."

November 30, 2005 in Communication w/ Amazon | Permalink | Comments (0)

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