Closing live sex site futile: web expert

Closing a New Zealand internet website planning to broadcast live sex shows is pointless because it could easily be shown from overseas, says an internet business expert.

Christchurch strip club Calendar Girls will launch a website in the next few days on which clients can view a sex worker, who is being videotaped, and issue instructions.

The website's content falls outside current publishing and broadcasting laws. Costs of accessing it have not been revealed.

Allan Kirk, author of a book on e-commerce for businesses, said yesterday that New Zealanders could access about 576,000 websites worldwide showing live sex acts.

"All they [the Government] do if they close down [the website] is take New Zealand money overseas.

"It will be a waste of time and won't stop New Zealanders accessing it on the internet. There is no feasible technical way to stop it, other than closing down the internet."

Mr Kirk said setup costs for a live sex site were relatively cheap, ranging from $5000 to $20,000, depending on quality. Annual running costs, other than wages, would be about $2000.

Live sex websites abroad made billions of dollars a year, he said.

Christchurch firm IVV Systems set up the site over 18 months. Club manager James Samson said hundreds of computer experts had worked on it.

Detective Richard Crowe, of Christchurch, said the website appeared to have a legal status similar to escorting.

Meanwhile, a former Calendar Girls stripper may take legal action to stop semi-nude photos of her being used on the website.

The woman, who did not wish to be named, said she left the club because she did not want to be involved in the venture. She was "gutted" when photos of her topless appeared on the homepage.

Mr Samson said all the women photographed knew that the images would be used on the net.

- NZPA