London

Earlier this month, the popular web-based online chat service Omegle closed down forever after the platform was dubbed a safe haven for paedophiles and other notorious elements of society. The court documents show a woman named "Alice" or "A.M." (name changed) who was a victim of child sexual abuse on Omegle, was the main force behind the closure of the website. 

Advertisment

Speaking to BBC for the first time after the judgement, Alice revealed that an out-of-court settlement led to the website's closure which otherwise would have taken years if the trial went to jury. 

"Getting the site shut down was something I couldn't have achieved in court, so I got to tailor the outcome," she told the publication. 

"Accomplishing everything we were able to in court and then obtaining this result now - probably years earlier than we could have reached a jury verdict - is something I'll never stop being proud of."

Advertisment

Alice spent years fighting for compensation after she was randomly paired with a paedophile who made her his digital sex slave. The accused named Ryan Fordyce, a father of two had collected 220 images and videos of Alice from the age of 11, carrying out sexual acts under duress. 

"He was able to manipulate me immediately, and very quickly I was being forced to do things that a child should not have to do," said Alice. 

Around the time Fordyce was sentenced to a prison sentence in Canada, Alice filed the lawsuit against Omegle in 2021. Prior to the out-of-court settlement, Alice hoped to get $22 million in compensation but had to settle for an undisclosed sum earlier this month which she described was better for her and others. 

Advertisment

Also read | Urgent actions needed to stop spread of AI-generated child sexual abuse images on internet

Omegle shuts down

Omegle, launched in 2009 by then 18-year-old Leif Brooks paired random strangers on the platform via video format to chat and engage.

However, what started as a medium to connect with different people, soon turned into a den of paedophilia and other sexual as well as predatory behaviour, primarily due to lack of moderation. In the last couple of years, the site had been involved in more than 50 cases against paedophiles.  

Watch | Meta joins 'Lantern' programme to fight against online child abuse

×

After years of growing concerns around the safety of users on the website, Brooks, earlier this month shut down the platform by posting a lengthy message where he acknowledged Alice for opening his worldview. 

"I thank A.M. for opening my eyes to the human cost of Omegle," he wrote in the farewell message. 

The website had around 73 million visitors a month, according to website watchers Semrush, mostly from India, the US, the UK, Mexico and Australia.

(With inputs from agencies)