Photos on Ebay

In the past Ten days a remarkable series of events unfolded involving the unauthorized sale of Headshots and Resumes of Minors on Ebay. Briefly, one or more Casting Directors (who collect headshots when kids come in to audition) suddenly started offering for sale what all performers consider "tools of the trade," and innocently give to Casting Directors before every audition. The problem is that many of these headshots contain personal information that goes far beyond mere phone numbers. Many have social security numbers and home addresses.

Let's not kid ourselves; Glossy photos of Minors can easily be altered by today's sophisticated computer programs, and it doesn't take a genius to figure out who would be interested in photos of young boys and girls, or what might happen to those photos in the hands of a pedophile. Even worse, the personal information contained in some of these items being offered for sale make the work of a potential predator that much easier.

Moving swiftly when notified, the theatrical unions' legal departments made immediate contact with Ebay expressing our alarm. When the "sellers" were identified (some reluctantly) the photos were pulled.

One person, employed by a major studio's casting department, has already been fired. More termination notices are sure to follow.

"A Minor Consideration" played its role in this swift response to what anyone with an ounce of sense recognizes as a deadly threat to children in the entertainment industry.

Thanks are due to the responsible Agents who took the concerns of so many parents seriously, KSA Talent Agency first among them. Thanks, too, to the leadership of SAG President, Melissa Gilbert who took immediate steps to direct the Guild staff's response. AFTRA, meeting at Convention in Nashville, Tennessee, was notified on the floor of the Convention late Saturday night and moved at once to protect its members. We must also thank the Parents, like Marca Price of Plano, Texas who wasted no time contacting "A Minor Consideration" when her child's picture went up for sale on Ebay.

It would be bad enough if these photos were of adult actors, and even though most are not the Headshots of celebrities, the uses to which these photos might be put is frightening. The endless and infuriating email ads we're all subjected to (some say almost 40% of today's email is automatically generated) are heavily slanted toward pornography, and much of it celebrity-driven.

Many former kid stars have discovered their images on a wide range of porn sites, and that is why "A Minor Consideration" maintains a vigilant team of "Net Minders" who, disgusted though we may be, monitor the Internet to shut down these sites that routinely use altered photos or movie clips in soft or hard pornographic poses. This violation of the trusting arrangement between auditioning actors and casting directors has been violated. You can be sure that many protections are soon to follow, some within the Industry itself, and some at the legislative level.

On a personal note, I again want to say thank you to SAG President, Melissa Gilbert. There are some in the opposing political camp who were prepared to use this alarming development as a campaign issue in the current SAG presidential race.

If you think this isn't serious, I'll remind you to remember John Lennon, or Teresa Saldana whose words that I've quoted below are from 1996, and with the advent of computer photo programs, the Internet, and the society's escalating threats against children, are even truer today:

"In 1982, I was stalked and near-fatally stabbed by an assailant. Although he is currently behind bars, he has continued to threaten me. If he is ever released, this new federal anti-stalking law could be extremely helpful. For example, if he were to follow me across the country as he did in the past, he will have committed a federal felony. For this, he could face up to 20 years in prison."

"With the new stalking law in place, victims of this crime will have further legal recourse and an improved sense of security. It is a fine new tool which law enforcement can use to protect people from stalkers."

Please be alert, and let us know when a Threat against young performers develops.

Sincerely,
Paul Petersen
President and Founder,
"A Minor Consideration"