Garner Consulting, LLC

I was recently compelled to respond to a question about "erotic content" on mobile devices that was posted in a mobile technology professionals group I am a part of on LinkedIn.

What ensued is an eye-opening discussion on how blind and oblivious people engaged in that industry are.

The worldwide trafficking and enslavement of sex workers is a horrendous injustice. With an economics and marketing background, I have to ask where the market for such a thing comes from. Of course this is not a unique thought, but any reasonable person should be able to make a connection between the proliferation of pornography in every imaginable medium to be a key driver. Porn has become "cool," "funny," and even glamorous at some levels of our society. All the while, millions of lives are being destroyed because untold numbers of spectators are not satisfied until they become participants; in reality that transforms them into predators.

Here is what engaging with some of the profiteers on the chic, public facing side of the industry looks like:

[I will insert tips for following this within these brackets. Keep in mind that this was taken from a forum with international members, so the language can be difficult to follow at times. Also know that LinkedIn connects everyone from their professional profiles, so these are not anonymous rantings. I redacted actual names of participants to avoid any issues that might cause. I also left out ancillary comments that did not add anything significant to the discussion.]

The LinkedIn Group Forum Question:

M.C. -- Erotic content - still most interesting part of this business?

Hi all,
besides java games, there was always the erotic content most internesting part of this business. I suppose, it is still so :) What is your oppinion, am I right? The next question is - hard or soft?

P.S. I am looking for soft erotic content suppliers... Does anyone have something for me?
thanks,

Responses:

L.A. -- Simple truth - sex sells . LIke it or not, it is very very profitable and people buy it on a subscription basis. I've heard of services where you pay 6 pounds sterling per month (about $9) to send and recieve erotic messages to a virtual girlfirend or boyfriend. Whatever.

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A.B. [a woman] -- Interesting query you have there. [L.A.] is right, Sex sells. Regardless of the global recession that we are experiencing. The demand for such contents are still on the run. Our company provides this kind of contents. From soft to hard. Our official website is...

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C.D -- As stated above already, surely adult content sells! In our extensive experience as an adult content provider we see that Hardcore content is selling better than Softcore. Luckily we are able here in the Netherlands to sell hardcore through the portals of the operators:-) Please check our website...

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J.C. -- and while we are on the subject, a sister company of our creates and manages iPhone, Blackberry, G1 and 3G mobile adult branded subscription sites. If you are a studio. content producer, have a subscription site, webmaster or have Cable TV channels or print magazines we can do business!

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R.D -- HI [M.C.],

Check [].com these guys sell soft and hard both.

Regards

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T.M. [another female exec] -- [].com are no more than thieves. They illegally distribute modified versions of our original [removed titles] games.

If you are interested in legal distribution of adult and non-adult content, please feel free to contact me.

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R.D. -- Hi T.M.,

Didnt know that fact. In our previous company we used to get few content from them. Thanks for your advice. Will inform my previous company about this and hopefully they would take some action. Also would refer them to you guys.

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Laird [me] -- Sure [in reply to 'most interesting part of business' question]...and what better way is there to market extremely addictive, exploitative and destructive content to young teens, with little to no access filters? So, not only do you get a fresh new crop of abusers and the abused, you also feed an international human trafficking industry that has 2 million child slaves being sold for sex and raped for profit on a daily basis.

Congratulations, I hope everyone driving this market sleeps well at night.

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R.D --Hey Larid,

Apologies if we have hurt your sentiments, we are only talking about legal distribution content, As per your knowledge there are filters like age factor once you are on operator wap site.

On one here promotes piracy and illegal content mate. We always make sure that we or our partners have all the rights to sell the content and the content belongs to them.

Regards

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Laird -- Who said anything about piracy or illegal content? I'm not about to guess at the legal requirements in multiple countries.

Print, video, Internet, mobile...pervasive porn isn't enough for hundreds of thousands of predators as they provide the market for 2 million children and 10 million women in forced prostitution.

Little girls in cages, literally, raped 30 times a day...is it worth it?

You, along with all of the other positive "commenters," seem to be reasonably intelligent. You guys are at the top of the funnel, taking untold thousands of people down this path. I would think you could find another way to make a buck.

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R.D. -- Yes Laird,

I am in total agreement with you on this but the fact remains the same. This is the demand and the supply chain. We all here are because of the very fact that there is requirement from the companies we work for. Also this is not the only way to make money. I would say if Operators kept on asking these content then companies would provide these contents. We always tend to take content from legitimate companies who are not into child or forcefully make these content.

I would say we all here are social and society responsible persons.

Regards,

[In other words, he is a victim of supply and demand. He owns his own company, by the way, or so it is listed on his profile. Since there is demand, he has no choice but to supply it. I still haven't figured out what he is in "total agreement" about.]

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J.C. -- In every area of industry their are those who seek to exploit, bully, extort, torture and murder. Look at the oil industry, the pharma industry even in banking. The adult industry has its dark places too but people should be aware that as in every industry there are strict laws and regulations but there are those who seek to break these regulations in the most vile and terrible ways.

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L.A. -- So what are you saying Jeremy? Exploitation is OK because it runs across many sectors? I'm sure that is not your personal opinion but it supports a dangerous notion; something is really only illegal if you get caught. Hey, I'm all for porn if it is between consenting adults; if that's what they what to do, great, have at it. If you don't like porn, don't watch it. Abusing kids; totally different. Unconscionable

And here's the naked truth: No distributor HAS to make kiddie-porn, they CHOOSE to, using the twisted justification that there is a market and if they don't someone else will and reap the profits. Cha-ching!

I wonder if anyone selling that kind of trash has ever looked the abused in the eye, knowing they have ruined that person's life for money.

Shame on anyone who is in that business and shame on all of us for allowing it to continue. Major paradigm shifts needed here folks!

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S.P. -- Porn has it's place. It's up to users and operators to ensure content is legal. It shouldn't be stopped because of a sick minority. We all know that wouldn't stop them anyway.

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S.H. -- Hi Laird,

You look sensitive to child porn, abuse, rape and selling it to audiences. The fact is, at lot more places in the world where you are called by children and youngsters offering sex.

Each situation has different views. In every sector, there is abuse and rape. Someone rapes everybody and the fact is we all are pigeons of life. If you cannot be saved, then you are the target, this is law of nature. And no so-called civilized society is exception for this.

You are crying for those whom we see on screen, what you say about those which are killed in thousands of thousands world wide in racism, and just dumped in form of a figure in UN reports.

The topic here is adult content on mobile; task is legal and business is legal, I request you not to take things personal. Be professional!

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Laird -- Unfortunately for those looking to justify their business interests, or assuage their consciences, I was referring to the straight-up "soft and hard core" listed above. It's not about my sensitivities, it's about the realities of an industry that is propping up unbelievable oppression.

2 million children held as sex slaves.

10 million adult women held as sex slaves.

Talk to me about consent again? Who are the ones providing the market for this kind of injustice but hundreds of thousands of the customers in this industry who just can't get enough? They have to find a way to try out all of the different fantasies portrayed in your garbage.

Is it really that hard to see that for every "star" that rises to the top of the heap, hundreds of thousands have their lives destroyed in the process?

At least R.D. seems to be honest...he says it is worth it. Hey, have to make some money, right?

S.H....what a dark view of the world you have. And I don't think you really understand the hell I am describing that these women and children are living in. And this is directly on-topic. Read the initial question. I am just trying to encourage anyone listening to get out of it. Interesting, profitable...so what? It's not worth it.

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V.H. -- Re: 2 million children held as sex slaves. 10 million adult women held as sex slaves.

What this has to do with professionally made porn films? Those are just acting like any movie. I would be more concerned about those amateur porn clips when somebody put's hidden camera to someones else bedroom.

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And this is where it ended. I had nothing more to say with the likes of V.H. either not caring or being actually incapable of making the connection.

Some of the others obviously hold a view of humanity that is utterly predatorial. Kill or be killed, rape or be raped. They will do their best, but overall it is no big deal--as long as what they are doing is legal by somebody's definition.

God help us.

Two organizations working to do something about this:

• International Justice Mission - www.ijm.org
• Exodus Cry - www.exoduscry.com