Video Girl Barbie a pedophile's tool? FBI says possibly

By Melissa Bell



Video Girl Barbie (Mattel)

One toy definitely not making the FBI Christmas wish list this year? Barbie "Video Girl." The toy released in July might seem like a harmless digital invention -- a ploy to lure children into begging their moms and dads into splurging on a $49.99 doll. The FBI, however, thinks it could be a ploy exploited by pedophiles to make child pornography.

A Cyber Crime Alert released by the FBI Sacramento Field Office details the toy's attributes:

The doll conceals the lens of the camera in a necklace in the front, and has a small LCD screen for video display in her back. The doll can capture thirty minutes of footage, and the videos are downloadable to a computer through a miniUSB port and cable.

The alert, sent to KIRO 7 Eyewtness News by a source, was not made to be public but was meant to be circulated to FBI offices.

The footage recorded by the Barbie can be uploaded onto the computer, but it does not stream onto the Internet. However, once the video is on the computer, children can upload the video themselves to the Internet.

Here's a review of Video Girl:

Mattel wrote in an e-mailed statement, "The FBI is not reporting that anything has happened. Steve Dupre from the FBI Sacramento field office has confirmed there have been no incidents of this doll being used as anything other than as intended. Mattel products are designed with children and their best interests in mind. Many of Mattel's employees are parents themselves and we understand the importance of child safety - it is our number one priority."

Should you be worried about Video Girl Barbie?