Citation

Russell G. J. Crim. Law Criminol. 2008; 98(4): 1467-1499.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2008, Northwestern University School of Law)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The primary allure of virtual worlds, and no doubt a large part of their success, derives from the anonymity they afford their denizens. In the real world, people often tailor their behavior according to what they perceive as their society's norms of what is appropriate for people of their age, appearance, job, social skills, or social status. The physical remove of virtual worlds inspires people to speak and move about freely, uninhibited by a fear of real-world repercussions. Recent developments at the intersection of cyberspace and terrestrial law, however, suggest that not all actions in virtual worlds are consequence-free. This Comment analyzes the widely publicized issue of age-play in virtual worlds, and discusses the merits of past and present regulations criminalizing such behavior. Congress has made numerous attempts to prevent the possession and distribution of sexually explicit renderings of minors which involved no actual minors in their production. This Comment points out the logical and constitutional problems with Congress's e fort to render this victimless activity criminal under both child pornography law and obscenity, law, and concludes that so Jar as online age-play is concerned, adults should be allowed to explore their fantasies with other consenting adults without the interference of terrestrial law.