Police in Zhongshan of Guangdong Province yesterday claimed to have arrested 37 people during raids on several hideouts of an underground Internet firm which specialized in online pornography.

The Internet police division of the Zhongshan municipal public security bureau raided 17 locations in the city's Tanzhou township on June 16 after using sophisticated software to trace the company, which did not have a name.

"A total of 17 hideouts were unearthed and 37 suspects, including six organizers, two of whom were from Taiwan, were arrested," an official from the bureau said, adding that police confiscated 110,000 yuan ($16,000) in cash and more than 20 computers from the locations.

According to the official, the company hired a "number of 20-something women as typists", who were lured with offers of an extra buck to indulge in cyber sex with paying clients. "The women also indulged in pornographic performances on web cams."

The Zhongshan Daily yesterday reported that the cyber sex workers can earn anywhere between 3,000 yuan and 20,000 yuan per month - a relatively high income for poor migrant workers.

The organizers provided an apartment, computer equipment, dresses and sex tools for the online performances, police said.

"The performers shared 80 percent of the total profits, while the remaining 20 percent was divided between the organizers," the official said.

Clients paid "cash for points", which were deducted according to the services they ordered.

Jin Delu, a local lawyer in Guangzhou, said the suspects would likely be charged with "spreading obscenity for the purpose of seeking profit".

"China's criminal law has no clear article on the punishment of naked chatting and online porn performances as the law had taken effect far before the illegal phenomena cropped up," Jin said.

"However, there is an article on punishment related to spreading obscene goods for profits.

"Those found guilty of the crime may face up to life imprisonment as well as fines."

According to Wu Jian, an associate professor of the Guangdong Police College, organizers of cyber sex and porn performances usually rented servers overseas, mostly in Taiwan, to avoid being detected by the police on the mainland. Their clients are primarily netizens living overseas, Wu said.

In March 2008, the police cracked a similar case in Zhuhai, smashing 22 hideouts and arresting 15 organizers and 31 porn performers.

(China Daily June 24, 2009)