Starting Adult Chat Studio in Philippines ..Good or Bad Idea?

[mahoney]

I am doing some mainstream business in the Philippines this summer and was thinking about opening an Adult Chat Studio. I would point it to one of the bigger Chat networks with allot of traffic and models etc. I was in this business about 10 years ago but I know allot has changed since then. Is there still room for it in a 3rd world country? I remember the reason it not working so well in the USA was the profit margins were too slim but it seems like it could work in the Philippines. Is there any laws or pitfalls I should be aware of? What say you?

[mafia_man]

Originally Posted by mahoney

I am doing some mainstream business in the Philippines this summer and was thinking about opening an Adult Chat Studio. I would point it to one of the bigger Chat networks with allot of traffic and models etc. I was in this business about 10 years ago but I know allot has changed since then. Is there still room for it in a 3rd world country? I remember the reason it not working so well in the USA was the profit margins were too slim but it seems like it could work in the Philippines. Is there any laws or pitfalls I should be aware of? What say you?

Better recruiting from outside of the Philippines or having a contact there who's Filipino.

Camming is illegal in South East Asia.

[AsianDivaGirlsWebDude]

Have luck...



ADG

[mahoney]

Ahhh ok so it's 100% Illegal with serious consequences?
That's ironic because prostitution seems to be very tolerated
by the government.

[HugeWood]

Originally Posted by AsianDivaGirlsWebDude

Have luck...



ADG

That was cp.

[mahoney]

Originally Posted by AsianDivaGirlsWebDude

Have luck...



ADG

By the way this story was about a CP ring. It had nothing to do with a live chat studio.
Does anyone really know the FACTS about the laws re: this in the Philippines?

[Just Alex]

Will see on evening news very soon.

[HugeWood]

Well, here's a starting point:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pornogr...he_Philippines
Of course you'd want to consult with a porn lawyer, and I'm betting he'd tell you not to do it. A nonstop bribing nightmare is what I imagine. Maybe it would be smarter to focus all energies on your mainstream pursuits...

[adultchatpay]

Originally Posted by mahoney

I am doing some mainstream business in the Philippines this summer and was thinking about opening an Adult Chat Studio. I would point it to one of the bigger Chat networks with allot of traffic and models etc. I was in this business about 10 years ago but I know allot has changed since then. Is there still room for it in a 3rd world country? I remember the reason it not working so well in the USA was the profit margins were too slim but it seems like it could work in the Philippines. Is there any laws or pitfalls I should be aware of? What say you?

Setting up any adult related biz in PH is very risky if you don't know what you are doing.

[AsianDivaGirlsWebDude]

Swedes sentenced to life in prison for Filipino cyber-brothel

An appeals court in the Philippines has rejected an appeal by Swedes Stefan Sederholm, 33, and Andrew Solemo, 37, with a request for a new trial. They are now left several more years in prison before the Supreme Court may take up the case.

The Swedes were sentenced to life in prison on May 10, 2011, convicted of trafficking.

Sederholm and Solemo had along with three Filipino citizens launched a so-called cyber-brothel with operations in an industrial park outside the city of Cagayan de Oro.

Operations began in early 2009. Some 20 Filipino women were hired to pose naked and masturbate in front of webcams with customers paying to watch worldwide. The customers would buy time with the women and express their desire for sexual activities. The women were paid about SEK 2500 per month, equivalent to the salary of a regular office job in the Philippines.

As early as April 23, 2009, the police raided the business and three Filipino men were arrested. The Swedes were arrested when they arrived by plane to the Philippines on the same day. This type of online sexual service is not illegal in the Philippines but when the police raided the cyber brothel, one of the women claimed that she was posing in front of the camera against her will.

Arrested in May, 2009, now charged with human trafficking, the two Swedes were placed in the notorious Lumbia Jail. The trial against the Swedes and the three Filipinos began in February 2011. The sentence came on May 10 of that year: life imprisonment for Andreas Solemo and Stefan Sederholm. The three Filipino citizens received 20 years imprisonment. The two Swedes have since been relocated to the Davao Penal Colony

The Swedes have now turned to the Swedish Foreign Ministry with a request for financial assistance in order to obtain a new lawyer.

The denied request of a new trial will be appealed to the Philippine Supreme Court. A process that takes several years. Meanwhile, Solemo and Sederholm remain in Davao Penal Colony.

Andreas Solemo and Stefan Sederholm consider themselves to be the victims of a political verdict, and believe that the severe punishment is a way for the Philippines to make an example, showing that they come down hard on human trafficking.

“The absolute worst is that we are convicted of a terrible crime, which is very far from the truth. Now we are sitting here for life and quite frankly I am having a hard time seeing that they will ever release us,” said Stefan Sederholm to TV4′s Kalla Fakta last year.

Should the Swedes fail in their appeal, they will be forced to sit somewhere between 20 and 30 years in prison before they might be pardoned.

Here is what they don’t tell you.

1. Working as a camgirl in the Philippines is not illegal.

2. Only one of the 20 women stated that she was forced to work which is a total lie.

3. The truth is this one girl as ashamed and lied to her husband what she did for work but she didn’t leave. Once he found out, they contacted a TV show called Bitag who then contacted the NBI (National Bureau of Investigation).

4. The police promised her free education and money if she would sign their statement that she was forced to work and stripped naked. Even in court she mentioned that the Swedes were nothing but nice to her.

5. The 2 other women (Shift managers) in Jail as part of the 5 were also offered the same deal but they would not sign the statement as they said it was lies against the 2 Swedes, they had done nothing wrong so the 2 women were sent to jail too.

6. All the girls had rooms a few miles away from the studio where they slept between shifts.

7. All women were over the age of 18. Before they could work, they had to produce evidence of age via a passport or their birth certificate. This was necessary proof required by the external cam companies of which they were models for.

8. At no time whatsoever were any minors working in the studio even though the papers presumed the possibility.

9. All women were free to come and go as they pleased.

10. All rooms where tastefully decorated, had piped music, they had breaks when they wanted and had a fridge for their food and and snacks.

11. Every Friday the women were treated to a night out on the town as shown in the face book pictures.

12. On their days off they would often go to the beach or get their hair done.

13. They were earning as much as 40,000+ pesos per month, as much as a trained doctor.

14. Most were ex bar girls that were often beaten and abused as working prostitutes and were more than happy to be cam girls working in a safe and clean environment.

15. When possible, they would ask to come back month after month as they enjoyed the work.

16. The job allowed them to send good money back home to their family, eat well and buy the clothes they always wanted.

17. How can the two swedes be accused of human trafficking when inside philippines borders?

18. The women made their own way to Cagayan De Oro and at no time were they accompanied to the studio. They were met at CDO airport and taken to their rooms ready to start work as they had already been explained what they should do having been met in their home town or recruited by one of the other cam girls which they were paid commission for their efforts.

19. The 2 Swedes were illegally taken at gunpoint from their hotel to the studio then arrested as the police only had a warrant to arrest them at the cam studio premises.

20. The police falsified the arrest times as it has been proven by the flight manifest that one of the top reporters present at the arrest was already on the plane back to Manilla at the time the police logged the arrest.

21. The crime of Human trafficking takes 5 people otherwise it cannot be human trafficking. Hence the police arrested the 2 Swedes, 2 shift manager woman and one of the worker men to make the case stick.

22. All the other girls were threatened if they did not sign a damaging statement against the 5 arrested, they would also be added as part of the human trafficking crew.

23. The police forcibly placed the women into care. The parents of seventeen of the eighteen girls removed them from the government social services because they were being held there against their will as propaganda for the media to show the women we’re being “taken care of”.

24. Nine of these filed a case against the DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development) and the NBI (National Bureau of Investigation) for Habeus Corpus and for forcing them to testifying against the accused under threats of imprisonment with the accused.

25. Three of the defence witnesses were girls who worked in the studio during the raid.

26. The three testified in court that they had been forced by the NBI to sign a complaint and agree to testify against the accused.

27. Many of the documents that proved their innocence were lost or forgotten at the time of the case thus allowing the police to make any statement they wanted.

Please take a look at the following letter sent to the UN for additional information.



https://www.facebook.com/notes/relea...02470183160707

What have you got to lose?

Sounds like you can get screwed even if you try to do things by the book.



ADG

[mahoney]

Jesus Christ Monkey Balls !!! That is like a real "Locked Up Abroad" or "Midnight Express" Nightmare come True. Ok, I'm going to chalk that up to top 3 worse ideas I ever had lol This information makes me even scared to visit the Philippines now... Thanks for the heads up.

[HugeWood]

Originally Posted by mahoney

Jesus Christ Monkey Balls !!! That is like a real "Locked Up Abroad" or "Midnight Express" Nightmare come True. Ok, I'm going to chalk that up to top 3 worse ideas I ever had lol This information makes me even scared to visit the Philippines now... Thanks for the heads up.

Yeah, no kidding, holy shit. AsianDivaGirlsWebDude put the kibosh on that idea. Fucking hell.

[mineistaken]

Originally Posted by AsianDivaGirlsWebDude

What have you got to lose?

Sounds like you can get screwed even if you try to do things by the book.



ADG

Damn, I feel sorry for those dudes.
By the way I checked threads about them, gfyers were bashing them for underage chicks (probably with fake IDS so not that much of their fault).
Although point number 7 claims all were over 18.

[Axzar]

Just exposing Filipinos in the Philippines to porn is illegal. You can't even have designers slinging taints and assholes around in Photoshop.

Someone will talk too much, you will get busted.

I've been here ten years. Let me know if I can help with any of your mainstream. I have American managed offices in two 2nd tier cities (aka, not Manila or Cebu). We don't do any porn.

[Rmagnus]

it's more fun in the Philippines! :D

[AsianDivaGirlsWebDude]

I have spent months in the Philippines (Cubi Pt/Subic and Olongapo City back in the day, and Angeles City and Manila after that) - lovely place, but I would never do anything which could land me in jail there (the same is true for Thailand, Japan, Korea, etc).

My motto, enjoy life and everything for what it is in Asia, but don't gamble with your life.

Magkatuwaan!!! Have fun!



ADG

[lagcam]

The expression "between a rock and a hard place" springs to mind.

Some people do make a success of it, but you have to have a very streetwise and security conscious mind set, be well protected and connected, and/or very very lucky. Running a cam studio is illegal and if caught there are a number of cyber crime/obscenity/morality laws that they will hit you with including the dramatic "human trafficking".

This is not a business to play at unless you like games where the end result is that you lose money or languish in a third world prison.

Come into this half cocked, or as something to do to meet girls and make beer money and you are in trouble. You may make some money, but you will probably lose a lot more than you make. The girls that work for you will almost certainly cheat you regardless of whatever controls you put in place plus, being actually located in the Philippines, and operating a cam studio, you will be an easy target for blackmail snitches and raids.

Sorry not the advice that you wanted to hear, and probably not the advice that you expected to hear from an asian cam site owner, but I wanted to make sure you understood exactly what you could be getting into.

As a foreigner, the safest way to run a Philippines cam studio is remotely. You will increase the likelihood of being cheated of course, but at least the consequences will only be loss of money.

[mahoney]

I was already talked out of it. Too much of a calorie burner for me

[LatinCams]

And anyways most big cam sites dont even accept philippines models ...High risk of underage models and fraud .....

[mineistaken]

Originally Posted by AsianDivaGirlsWebDude

I have spent months in the Philippines (Cubi Pt/Subic and Olongapo City back in the day, and Angeles City and Manila after that) - lovely place, but I would never do anything which could land me in jail there (the same is true for Thailand, Japan, Korea, etc).

My motto, enjoy life and everything for what it is in Asia, but don't gamble with your life.

Magkatuwaan!!! Have fun!



ADG

What if you enjoy some chicks from those photos and turns out one of them is underage? I mean reading all those talks like chicks who want to work there produces fake ID's very often. So you land in jail for nothing, I would be scared to talk to the chicks

[vdbucks]

Originally Posted by mineistaken

What if you enjoy some chicks from those photos and turns out one of them is underage? I mean reading all those talks like chicks who want to work there produces fake ID's very often. So you land in jail for nothing, I would be scared to talk to the chicks

You can land in "jail" for buying a pack of cigarettes off the street, and wind up several thousand dollars lighter (I'm talking 20-30k and up). You can land in "jail" for any number of reasons really. Obviously, they're all scams but at the end of the day, their laws do not matter or apply to foreigners.

To the OP... Read this twice as it is very, very important...

If you have to ask on GFY about setting up "illegal" stuff in the PI, you'd be far better off staying as far away from it as you can.

Technically speaking, porn, cam sites and the like aren't actually illegal in the PI. But, as stated above, their laws do not apply to foreigners, and they change the "laws" at will in order to get as much money out of the gullible as they can, or land their name in the paper if no money is to be had.

In reality, they make up false charges of things that are actually illegal, like the underage nonsense in the case of the Swedish dudes above.

[klinton]

these swedish dudes...what a scumbags...they were paying 400 usd monthly for this kind of job ? maybe that's why one of the girls reported them to police...
unless it was without tips or sth, what a greedy bastards....

[mineistaken]

Originally Posted by klinton

these swedish dudes...what a scumbags...they were paying 400 usd monthly for this kind of job ? maybe that's why one of the girls reported them to police...
unless it was without tips or sth, what a greedy bastards....

3. The truth is this one girl as ashamed and lied to her husband what she did for work but she didn?t leave. Once he found out, they contacted a TV show called Bitag who then contacted the NBI (National Bureau of Investigation).

4. The police promised her free education and money if she would sign their statement that she was forced to work and stripped naked. Even in court she mentioned that the Swedes were nothing but nice to her.


And 400 bucks is all right salary, they were happy working there.

[adultchatpay]

Philippine is very strict regarding "anti-cyber crime law"
It includes, cyber sex... which is a part of anti human trafficking law.

They (the authority) will suck your money to death if you will not give them certain percentages with your operation.

You will land in jail unless you give protection money.

It sucks, but it is the law.
Just like following any rules in any particular country.

[DWB]

I've spent the past 15 years of my life making porn in dodgy countries where it is highly illegal. The best advice I can give you is, unless you are either willing to pay the ultimate in consequences for your actions, or have the cash to bail yourself out of a worst case scenario, or have the right connections to get you out of whatever mess is dropped in your lap, then you should pass.

The problem with lawless countries like the Philippines is, they will make up new "laws" and make shit up to extort every last penny out of you, and then some. They will offer deals to girls to lie about things you have done to them, so that it worsens your situation. And if you can't pay up, you're doing serious prison time.

No money = it's your ass honey. That's what it all boils down to.

Whatever you choose, good luck.

[Tasty1]

Are the swedish guys still in jail? They where the owner of smsmovies and promoted that a lot. And i remember they also had some taks problems in Sweden. Maybe i can visit them when i am in that area next year and they like visits. I visited a lot of people in the Prison in Bangkok, you don't want to end up in a jail in asia...

[mineistaken]

Originally Posted by DWB

I've spent the past 15 years of my life making porn in dodgy countries where it is highly illegal. The best advice I can give you is, unless you are either willing to pay the ultimate in consequences for your actions, or have the cash to bail yourself out of a worst case scenario, or have the right connections to get you out of whatever mess is dropped in your lap, then you should pass.

The problem with lawless countries like the Philippines is, they will make up new "laws" and make shit up to extort every last penny out of you, and then some. They will offer deals to girls to lie about things you have done to them, so that it worsens your situation. And if you can't pay up, you're doing serious prison time.

No money = it's your ass honey. That's what it all boils down to.

Whatever you choose, good luck.

So did you have cash ready to bail you out of worse case scenario?
It sounds like a lot of stress - everyday you do not feel 100% safe... Quality of life goes down just because of this single fact.

[adultmobile]

Most filipino studios are "helped" by a foreigner who really is not in philippines, but remotely (and afraid to visit Philippines - when they do, it is in incognito). These guys are really bf's (or delusional wanna-be bf's) of some camgirl and they send lots of money to pay real or fictitious bills and equipment, plus they send the cam income of course (even if hold a % for themselves, always less than bills help). Models will ask every pay user to send them western unions, without tell to remote manager too. So really it is a santa claus type of manager, in loss - rarely I seen a foreigner doing profit from remotely managing a filipino studio, and anyway they're raided soon.

Filipino studios are "raided" all the time, no matter the owner is foreigner or filipino, and no matter all over 18 and agreeing (I not mean all are, but it is not the issue for being busted). Note that it is illegal there, clearly stated, no need to make up laws, but I do believe the police make up evidence on need. For this reason is not so worth for cam sites to register filipino studios (esp. big ones with a few pc's), as they'll be busted shortly later anyway. Cam studios are closed by police in Ukraine (or rarely in Russia) too (mostly for bribe disagreements), but Philippines it is a sure bust, just matters when.

About bribing and connections to keep you safe, note that there's 2 type of police, the local police that's easier to bribe (depends who, where) and the NBI who is about going in tv news to show they busted the bad guys (see the 2 swede example). You normally can't bribe NBI, you should check who raided, local police or NBI. If NBI raids the studio it ends like for the 2 swede no matter you have all the cash to bribe and you know the local police (who can't help you with NBI raids).

How the police gets to know where is a studio to raid? Stories I heard from busted studios normally include a girl's boyfriend or husband. Like the 2 swedes example. Either one of the girls didn't told to boyfiend/husband what's her job, and when he finds out he tells police. Or, the boyfiend/husband is told and all ok, but later the gf breaks with him (for reason not related to studio, these things happen) and then the ex-boyfiend/ex-husband will tell the police. No matter the studio is the best employment center of the country with everyone happy there. The only way to safely run a cam girls studio in the Philippines, is to run it without cam girls.

A good place to run cam studios it is Colombia. It is legal there, just they can find issues if there's drugs and/or no tax is paid, much like any office or company doing anything, the issue is not cams. A Medellin studio owner tells me they are located very near the police station. At times the police knocks the door, asks "how we can fuck the girls there?", and owner answers: "on internet with credit card only", and that's all (with a laugh) - police can't even enter without valid reason, and no bribe paid ever. Of course Colombia is not as safe as other places in the world, just it does not matter if you run a cam studio or a bread shop.

Cam studios are legal in Romania too, you can run studios as you wish and no police issues, but there (unlike Colombia), the girls are too quick to setup at home, so studios are mostly a short training room for new girls who live with parents and can't do at home. Every girl who ends up doing good money, will quit studio as long as can rent own place, that's a common venting I hear from romanian studio guys. Have to add, often at home the girl does less money, if can't discipline her shifts, ends up not paying rent and returning to live with parents or friends not suitable for cam job, then some may return to studio, it depends.

The best it is of course to run the cam site or be an affiliate and leave all these studio issues to someone else.

[DWB]

Originally Posted by mineistaken

So did you have cash ready to bail you out of worse case scenario?
It sounds like a lot of stress - everyday you do not feel 100% safe... Quality of life goes down just because of this single fact.

Every country is a different situation.

The quality of life is fine if you know what you are doing, but if you shit where you eat, it's a good idea to stay on your toes. It is what it is. However, truth be told I'd rather shoot abroad in a dodgy country than deal with the BS going on in Porn Valley right now with their condom issue, inspections, permits and so on. I think those guys have it harder than we do right now.

[Pornopat]

I think it was may 2005 when two dutch brothers with a cybersex den were killed in a "shootout" with the Manilla Police.
The dutch brothers were unarmed....

[Pornopat]

You might want to read this thread
https://gfy.com/showthread.php?t=507442

[2MuchMark]

Bad idea for MANY reasons, not just legal.

[slavdogg]

go start a studio in brazil

[PaperstreetWinston]

Bad bad idea. The cyber laws there are sooo vague that there's so much room for the local authorities play with. I guarantee that you'll be spending most of your profits bribing local law enforcement for protection. Bad idea.

[Tasty1]

Originally Posted by slavdogg

go start a studio in brazil

And how is it there? Curious cause i stay there a lot.
Not wanting a camstudio though.

[Mr. Stiff]

I know there's some affiliate programs operating from the phils.. how do they pull it off?

[adultmobile]

Related with the fact philippines "off cam site" business is bigger than "on cam site", news of today:

Philippines ?Sextortion? Network Busted: 58 Arrested for Cybersex Blackmailing:

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-27249926
http://www.philstar.com/headlines/20...oys-sextortion
http://news.google.com/news/more?ncl...ser=0& ned=us

Police in the Philippines have arrested 58 people of a cybersex blackmail syndicate. They persuaded people in foreign countries to expose themselves in front of webcams. They then threatened to send the footage or photos to relatives unless payment was made, up to 1,500 euros. Some even paid up to $15,000 to keep compromising material private. They included a Scottish teenager who committed suicide after being blackmailed. Hong Kong police said that more than 530 people in the territory fell victim to the syndicate. The "sextortionists" operated on an almost industrial scale from call centre-style offices where the men and women hired, sitting in rows of computer cubicles, were provided with training and offered bonus incentives.

"They create an account on social or porn sites with the purpose of locating and attracting prospective clients, especially old male individuals abroad, posing as Asian attractive females. After getting acquainted with the victims... they'll invite to use video-call and engage in cybersex and this will be recorded, unknown to the victim. The footage was then used to extort money, usually ranging from $500 to $2,000, but some up to $15,000. A scottish boy committed suicide due to that. ".

[mafia_man]

Originally Posted by adultmobile

Related with the fact philippines "off cam site" business is bigger than "on cam site", news of today:

Philippines ?Sextortion? Network Busted: 58 Arrested for Cybersex Blackmailing:

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-27249926
http://www.philstar.com/headlines/20...oys-sextortion
http://news.google.com/news/more?ncl...ser=0& ned=us

Police in the Philippines have arrested 58 people of a cybersex blackmail syndicate. They persuaded people in foreign countries to expose themselves in front of webcams. They then threatened to send the footage or photos to relatives unless payment was made, up to 1,500 euros. Some even paid up to $15,000 to keep compromising material private. They included a Scottish teenager who committed suicide after being blackmailed. Hong Kong police said that more than 530 people in the territory fell victim to the syndicate. The "sextortionists" operated on an almost industrial scale from call centre-style offices where the men and women hired, sitting in rows of computer cubicles, were provided with training and offered bonus incentives.

"They create an account on social or porn sites with the purpose of locating and attracting prospective clients, especially old male individuals abroad, posing as Asian attractive females. After getting acquainted with the victims... they'll invite to use video-call and engage in cybersex and this will be recorded, unknown to the victim. The footage was then used to extort money, usually ranging from $500 to $2,000, but some up to $15,000. A scottish boy committed suicide due to that. ".

Some kid in the UK killed himself because of twats like that.

[ls101]

As in DO NOT! Nowadays lots of assets in NBI to ask for money bribe!