Twenty place bids to have sex with child, 9

What is even more sickening, according to the social workers, is the fact that no one had stepped in, alerted the police, tried to do something about it, or even said a word before it happened.

The youngest girl known to offer herself for money in Taiwan history allegedly performed oral sex on the highest bidder, a teenager who outbid the other 19 contenders, in the presence of her twin sister for NT$1,000, according to the Chinese-language Apple Daily.

Sun Fu-tso (孫福佐), a father and the police officer in charge of the case, said he had to reveal the case to the public. “This is outrageous! Society is sick!” Sun said, adding he felt compelled to confirm the case although he could be punished for it.

“I hope parents would spend more time trying to be aware of what their children are doing at home and online,” Sun was quoted as saying.

Wang Yun-tung (王雲東), an associate professor on the faculty of National Taiwan University's Department of Social Work, lamented the case as a consequence of widespread avarice in society.

“Online prostitution by people of a young age group is becoming a pervasive trend,” the Columbia University trained scholar said.

To remedy the situation, the government should strengthen sex education so that such concepts as the “equality between the sexes” and “a mindset against the self-commodification of the female body” can take deep roots in people's minds, he continued.

Commenting on the fact the girl offered herself by posting a message on a porn site, Wang said, the government should establish an info rating system, so that children would be denied access to info not suitable to people their age and be shielded from an exposure to bad influence.

Yao Shu-wen (姚淑文), a veteran social worker and executive director of Modern Women's Foundation, lashed out at the bidders, saying social morals have hit rock bottom.

“The fact that these people took risk to place their bids, oblivious to the fact the girl is only a 9-year-old child, shows that their idea of sex is seriously perverted. As such, they should seek therapeutic help,” said Yao, who also called on the police to find out the identities of the bidders as quickly as possible.

The girl's mother, divorced and a victim of family violence before her divorce, blamed herself for not being able to afford day care for her twin daughters. Not a computer-savvy person, she claims she doesn't know what exactly her two girls, left to the care of her own mom while she is at work, usually for more than 12 hours on end, are doing online.

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