Warning to parents about Internet teen modeling web sites

Young children posing provocatively on Internet modeling sites. These web sites are not illegal, but they are worrisome to police officers, some parents and legitimate modeling agencies. <br><br>News

Thursday, September 19th 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

Young children posing provocatively on Internet modeling sites. These web sites are not illegal, but they are worrisome to police officers, some parents and legitimate modeling agencies.

News on Six crime reporter Lori Fullbright says the photos on these websites donâ€™t' show any nudity or sex, but, men by the thousands pay money to look at them, young girls posing in bikinis and halter tops. Skimpy clothes, suggestive poses, that's what you'll find on websites like childsupermodels.com.

But, they are perfectly legal and some argue they are protected as free speech. Critics say these sites are nothing more than fodder for pedophiles. Tulsa Police Detective Don Holloway, "Every time we arrest someone for child porn, we find these type of pictures also. Because they meet the needs of a pedophile because they are young and have provocative poses."

Some of the sites charge a monthly fee to look at the pictures; others actually allow the customers to email the kids. Once the pictures are out there, anything can happen. "Once the pictures get on the Internet, they can cut their heads off and put it on a nude body or airbrush them to make it look like the child was nude when they were taken pictures of.â€

Then there are are legitimate child modeling pictures, nothing skimpy, no sexy poses, only kids showing off their looks and personalities. They are taken at Tulsa's Layman Modeling Agency, where parents are encouraged to do their homework before signing up.

Linda Layman, Layman Modeling Agency: "Go to an orientation, find out if they do it the right way. You don't just want to put your child on a website." Layman says parents should stay with children during photo shoots and don't believe anyone who tries to convince you that, at that age, sexy sells. "Don't waste your time. Don't waste your money and don't put your children in that position, ever."

Some of the websites split the profits with parents and defend the photos by saying the girls aren't wearing anything you wouldn't see at a pool or park. Critics say the difference is, children are playing at those places, not doing things like this.