Specifics replaced the usual generalities with the focus on pay-for-viewlive webcams of underage children -- including infants and toddlers --engaging in sexual acts. In some cases, the parents of the children shot andproduced the videos.

Congressional estimates put the online child pornography business at $20billion a year and growing. Online or offline, child pornography is illegalin the United States and most other countries.

"Of all the hearings that we've done ... I've never been more revolted inpreparing for a hearing than in reading the materials that I've had to readfor this one," House Energy and Commerce Chairman Joe Barton (R-Texas) said.

Highlighting the sparsely attended hearing was the testimony of 19-year-oldJustin Berry, who was featured in a December New York Times series onchild exploitation over the Internet and the author of the story, KurtEichenwald.

"Like most people, I gave little thought during my life to the scourge ofchild pornography. But, I now know we are fighting a losing battle,"Eichenwald said. "The predators are sophisticated in the use of computersand talented in the manipulation of children."

"No teenager ever contacted me but many child predators did," Berry said. "Ibelieved these people were friends. They taught me about the wish list onAmazon and began buying me presents."

According to Berry, the seduction was slow, beginning with a man offeringhim $50 to take off his shirt live on Berry's webcam. Before it was over,Berry's father was producing live video of his son having sex.

"Hundreds of minors have been lost to the lure of performing in onlinepornography. They include children from every walk of life -- wealthy andmiddle class, honor students and those struggling with their grades,children of divorce and with intact families," he said.

Eichenwald said the only shared characteristic he found was "a lonelinessthat these minors feel is alleviated by meeting people online -- and inperson -- through their webcam business."

Beyond the sexual exploitation of children, Eichenwald said one of the mosttroubling aspects of his research was that "major American and internationalcompanies" were advertising on portals promoting underage pornographicwebcams.

"The advertisements appeared immediately above images used by boys and girlsto market their pornographic sites," he said. "Apparently, these companieswere attempting to win business both from customers and teenagersthemselves, as they offered services to help efficiently run for-pay sites."

The New York Times reporter specifically named webcam manufacturers Logitechand Creative and Verotel, an international credit card processing company,as advertisers on the portals.

"I even found a company that provided streaming video to sites operated byminors, on condition that its president be allowed to watch the pornographicperformances for free," Eichenwald said.

"What kind of society do we have if we can't protect infants from sexualexploitation?" Barton asked. "One of the witnesses' material shows thatalmost half of the incidents of sexual exploitation of children are byfamily members. What kind of family is that?"

Rep. John Dingell, the ranking Democrat on the committee, said through astatement, "Let's be clear about this. This is not about pornographic imagesof adults. The Internet has regrettably provided the medium for theexponential growth in these deplorable crimes."

In addition to webcams, Dingell also noted, "Some of these chat roomsprovide an opportunity to trade images. Unfortunately, the price ofadmission is often new material: hence, the ease of contact via the Internethas contributed to the incentives and growth of the horrendous abuse enduredby these young victims, usually within their own homes."

Barton promised hard questions for the Department of Justice and other lawenforcement officials who are scheduled to testify on Thursday morning.

"I just don't understand it. This is one where you can expect thesubcommittee and the full committee, if we need to, to do everything possible,"he said. "And I mean everything, not just hold hearings."

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