Sex addicts rule online

They're hooked on porn and a danger to society

Some 200,000 Net users are addicted to online sex and millions more are at risk, according to research published today in the March issue of the journal Sexual Addiction and Compulsivity. The research by psychologists at Stanford and Duquesne universities attempts to quantify anecdotal reports that the Net is inhabited by people getting their kicks from porn sites, adult chat rooms and cybersex. The report's authors also said this was a "public health hazard" which could explode unless something was done about it. "Cybersex compulsives" are described as spending more than 11 hours a week at adult sites and scoring high on a questionnaire. Last month Stanford published research saying how the Net was turning people into saddos unable to foster proper human relationships. ® Related stories: Every man is an island with the Net