A Canadian court this week began considering whether live images of erotic acts relayed over the Internet in exchange for money constitutes prostitution.
Grandstar Communications offers members who pay $15 a month a real-time service for $5 a minute by which customers converse by computer with a woman who will perform requested erotic acts the customer can watch on the computer screen.
The company is accused of operating a house of prostitution. Prosecutor Bryan Davies said Monday on the first day of the trial that the site is different from other forms of legally monitored adult entertainment -- such as strip clubs, which have minimum-age requirements -- because it is on the Internet and is accessible to anyone.
Among the evidence presented Monday was a videotape of police Detective Rob Nichol linking up to the Web site named The SinBin to contact a young woman who then stripped and rubbed her body with oil.
