A man who was once the victim of a sexual predator on the Internet has vowed to fight to ensure other children do not have to undergo the same experience.
Justin Berry, of Bakersfield, Calif., was searching for information on the Internet when he was contacted online by a stranger who was a sexual predator.
For the next five years, Berry, now 20, became the victim of a child pornography ring via his computer and webcam.
"At 13, I was asked to take off my shirt by a man on the Internet who thought I was going to be my new friend," Berry told CTV's Canada AM.
According to a recent survey from the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children, 45 per cent of teenagers have been asked for their personal information by a stranger. Forty per cent would reply and talk with a stranger and only 18 per cent would tell an adult.
Despite the fact Berry was living with his mother, she was unaware of the abuse that was happening while her son was online. Berry was dissuaded from telling anyone about his ordeal because of threats he received.
"After I had done some shameful things, after I had acted out on camera sexually, the pedophiles told me that if I were to go to any authorities and if I were to tell anyone, that I would be the one in trouble. And that's what scared me," Berry said.
Despite these threats Berry, with the assistance of a New York Times reporter, eventually contacted the authorities and co-operated with the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the arrests of sexual predators.
"As a matter of fact, I have received several death threats, up until this last month I just received one," Berry said. "(There was) an anonymous one off the internet saying 'kill Justin Berry.' These people hate me and I hate to say it, but I hate these people too."
After overcoming drug addiction and telling his family of his ordeal, Berry has positively devoted his energy to battling online child pornography.
"There's 50,000 predators on the Internet at any given time," Berry said. "They're out there and they're hunting for your children and the bottom line is we need to be educated and figure out how we can stop this problem."
