Seduced in Cyberspace

Justin says the predators gradually stepped up their requests, each a little more explicit than the last. It wasn't long before Justin was asked to pull down his boxer shorts, "just a little." Later on the pedophiles offered him more money to take them off. Next, they told him to masturbate. "I figured it was harmless," Justin says. "I was doing what most 13-year-old boys do in their room, and I was getting paid for it."

In addition to money, Justin says the men offered him gifts to show their appreciation, teaching him how to set up an online "wish list" where he could register for cool computer gear. He believed the whole process was perfectly safe because his home address was not revealed to buyers.

Justin says his mother and stepfather had no idea he was receiving gifts from strangers—he intercepted most deliveries before they had a chance to see them. When his mom did come across a package, he would tell her he bought it himself with the profits from his Web development business.