Excess by Proxy: Virtual Sex and Drugs Causing Police Concern

by Jordan Yerman | October 14, 2007 at 10:55 am

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I can see how lifestyle-tourists would be interested in a site like the one described below, but there are some things that a virtual experience just cannot provide. Using a more universal example, how would you go about recreating the experience of a hangover on a computer screen? ... exactly.

Police are concerned about a Web site being set up in B.C. that combines Facebook-like social interaction with virtual drug deals and naked characters having sex.

Bruce Shuster, owner of Utherverse Inc. and Amsterdam's popular Red Light Centre site, claims he's already had 40,000 free hits, and found 1,200 people willing to pay $20 per month for an avatar -- computerized persona -- that can get naked, have sex, get into the "passion club," and buy virtual alcohol and drugs.

Shuster, who describes his site virtual-vancouver.com as a mixture of Facebook and Internet "adult" soft porn, said he "looked all over the world and decided Vancouver would be the ideal city for this site.

"Vancouver has more liberal attitudes without being sleazy and there are more permissive or non-judgmental attitudes" toward having sex and taking drugs to enhance experiences like clubbing or concert-going, he said.

"We've only dabbled in hallucinogens so far," Shuster said. He maintains the site can offer users a safe way to "experience the drug-users' lifestyle."