LATIN AMERICA MISSING PERSONS (LAMP) NETWORK

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 LIMA 004394 SIPDIS G/TIP FOR LINDA BROWN DRL FOR SCHECHTER, NEWLING, RIGG E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/08/2014 TAGS: PREL PGOV PINR PE SUBJECT: LATIN AMERICA MISSING PERSONS (LAMP) NETWORK REVEALS RUSSIAN CHILD PORN RING LINKED TO U.S. REF: A. 04 LIMA 159 ¶B. 03 LIMA 6120 ¶C. 03 LIMA 6114 Classified By: Political Counselor Alexander Margulies. Reason: 1.4 ( b,d). -------------- Summary: -------------- ¶1. (C) The authors of the Peruvian website for Missing Persons, www.peruanosdesaparecidos.com, are now establishing a series of similar and interlinked web pages for missing persons in other countries called the Latin American Network for Missing Persons (LAMP). The system has already helped solve missing persons and TIP cases in a number of countries (including Latin Americans seeking information about relatives in the U.S. affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita). LAMP has also developed information about a new child pornography portal based out of St. Petersburg, Russia. The unique feature of the Russian child porn site is its payment method. Clients can only contract services by using a system called E-Gold, essentially a kind of bullion-based version of Paypal that guarantees complete anonymity. E-Gold is a U.S. company based in Orlando, Florida. It has been in business since 1996. End Summary. -------------- A Powerful Tool Against TIP -------------- ¶2. (U) Antonio Querol and Gonzalo Sarmiento, the authors of the Peruvian website for Missing Persons, Peruanosdesaparecidos.com, are now establishing a series of similar and interlinked web pages for missing persons in other countries called the Latin American Network for Missing Persons (LAMP). Since last year, Querol and Sarmiento have worked with Save the Children Switzerland to set up missing persons web pages for Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Guatemala and Chile. Installation is ongoing in Mexico. As with the original Peruvian web page, the system enables persons to post information about missing relatives -- photos, descriptions and biographic data )- and to receive anonymous messages from those who may have seen their lost loved ones. The Peruvian version of the web page also permits citizens to denounce clandestine brothels and other trafficking related activities, information that can be passed on to law enforcement. Posts can check out this evolving website at: www.latinoamericanosdesaparecidos.org/default .php. (For background on Querol and Sarmiento, who are both key Peruvian activists against TIP, see reftels.) ¶3. (U) Of the five countries where the system is fully installed, only Chile had a registry for mission persons prior to the initiation of the web page. Reportedly, the system is already showing results in the countries where it is up and running, aiding in the detention of a North American suspected of producing on-line pornography in Nicaragua, facilitating the identification of a dead body in Costa Rica, and blocking two illegal adoptions in Guatemala. Most recently, the website has been adapted to enable Latin Americans to contact relatives who may have gone missing in Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. ¶4. (U) In addition to solving cases, the announcement of the web pages has proven to be a media event that can be used to raise the profile of TIP in each of the target countries. Human Rights Officers interested in the system can contact Querol and Sarmiento through Save the Children. -------------- Anonymity for Child Pornography Customers? -------------- ¶5. (C) Recently, a source in Chile notified the LAMP network about the existence of an explicit portal featuring sexually oriented pictures of underage (and sometimes visibly undernourished) young girls based out of St. Petersburg, Russia. Querol and Sarmiento provided the web address of the site, http://lol.kiss.info. One novel feature of the Russian site is the payment method required. Prospective clients must sign up for a service called "E-Gold" based out of Orlando, Florida. E-Gold is a kind of PayPal that promises ultimate discretion for consumers who do not want to leave tracks. The company promises clients absolute anonymity. E-Gold has been in business since 1996. The Russian website first went up in the beginning of August. According to tracking software used by Querol and Sarmiento, it has already registered over one million hits. ¶6. (C) Post has notified U.S. Customs about E-Gold and an investigation is underway. -------------- An Opportunity for Embassies -------------- ¶7. (U) Human Rights Officers in Latin America may wish to engage with Save the Children Switzerland's LAMP project, encouraging its installation in their countries and/or getting Embassies involved in launch ceremonies. As LAMP goes on line in more places, it has the potential to turn up information of significant interest to relatives of missing persons, anti-TIP NGOs, and U.S. law enforcement. STRUBLE