Cablegate: Latin America Missing Persons (Lamp) Network

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

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).

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Summary:
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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.

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A Powerful Tool Against TIP
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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.

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Anonymity for Child Pornography Customers?
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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.

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An Opportunity for Embassies
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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

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