Protecting Children in Virtual Reality: A New Law to Combat Online Predators
A New Law to Safeguard Children in Virtual Reality
The Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office is commending a brand new law geared toward protecting children from online predators in virtual reality environments. With the signing of HB358, an adult who uses their avatar in a virtual reality space to interact in sexual intercourse with one other avatar – knowing the actor controlling that avatar is a toddler – can now be charged with a third-degree felony.
The Problem: Pedophiles Preying on Children in Virtual Reality
The district attorney’s office recently handled a case wherein a mother found her 11-year-old daughter had fallen asleep along with her VR headset still on. The mother looked into the VR device and discovered an extended chat with "very graphic, sexually explicit" content from a person. However, as his office reviewed the case, they couldn’t discover a law specifically addressing this crime. This is why the brand new law is an important step in protecting children from online predators.
How the New Law Works
The latest law, signed by the governor, addresses the deficiency within the law by making it illegal for adults to make use of virtual reality spaces to interact in sexual intercourse with avatars controlled by children. The law specifically targets pedophiles who use their avatars to entice and confer with users they know are children and groom them into having their avatars engage in sexual acts.
The Impact: Consistent Enforcement and Protection for Children
The latest law allows the district attorney’s office to be consistent with public policy concerns to guard children with a consistent enforcement scheme. As the district attorney said, "Our children depend on the adults of their lives to safeguard their well-being and protect them from those that might prey upon them. Things that occur in virtual reality might be deeply traumatic and will result in other types of abuse in the true world."
Conclusion
The latest law is a big step in protecting children from online predators in virtual reality environments. With the rise of virtual reality, it’s crucial that we stay ahead of the curve and be sure that our laws are in place to guard our youngsters. This latest law will help to forestall the exploitation and grooming of kids in virtual reality spaces, and the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office is committed to working with lawmakers and other stakeholders to make sure the continued protection of our youngsters.
