Another year, another Nintendo handheld packed with pornography under the Christmas tree. Last year it was a five-year-old and a used 3DS. This year it’s an eight-year-old and a supposedly brand-new 3DS.
According to a report from WAVY10 News over in the US, Tom Mayhew purchased a “new” Nintendo 3DS for his eight-year-old son from a Walmart in Hampton, Virginia on December 23.
On Christmas day, the son and some other children from Mayhew’s extended family were playing with the new handheld, taking pictures of each other with the system’s built-in camera. When they went to retrieve the photos, they discovered there were already some pictures in the system’s memory — about a dozen pornographic images.
“It was a shocker because we had family here, and there were a lot of kids here,” Mayhew told WAVY. “The kids were the ones that discovered those pictures.”
Mayhew’s first thought was the inclusion of the pictures might be a Nintendo error of some sort. Upon discovering the pictures carried an early December timestamp, however, he now believes the item was purchased and then returned to the Walmart, with the offending images still in memory.
WAVY’s 10 On Your Side consumer advocacy program contacted Walmart for comment, but has yet to hear back. Not sure what the retailer could do at this point. A new 3DS would be nice, but the psychological damage is already done.
Note the news story refers to the system as a Nintendo DS, while the video clearly shows a 3DS.
OK then. We’ve seen enough of these stories now. Time to add an extra step to the “purchasing a console for your children” checklist.
Comments
18 responses to “Another Christmas Ruined By A Porn-Filled Nintendo 3DS”
It’d probably make my Christmas to find free surprise porn on my new 3DS.
Until you realise that someone was watching porn while touching your new 3DS…
or til you realised that the person didnt wash down that 3ds after doing his/her business.
Brand new DS, used memory card?
I know I’d never want a child of mine (if I had one) to see porn at such a young age, but can someone tell me exactly what “psychological damage” can be done from seeing a few dirty pictures? I’m not being a smart alec, I’m just genuinely curious.
As long as the pictures are not of people harming each other, I don’t see how it could psychologically harm the kids. The parent’s reaction would be where the psychological harm would come from, so they can sue.
Remember though, this is the US. Guns, violent videogames/movies, hunting– those are fine for kids, apparently. But sex is a big immorality no-no! Because Jay-zus.
Same, but I imagine any “psychological damage” incurred would be largely manufactured to ramp up any damages costs in any litigation that followed. Personally I think it would be a nicer world all round if puritans had more issues with exposing kids to graphic violence than to naked humans engaging in acts of passion.
As much as it isn’t really damaging for the children, its still not something you’d want kids exposed too… The last thing you need is little bobby trying to innocently replicate what he has seen on his 3DS with little Mary-Jo from across the road
Correct … I once knew a girl who had been exposed to a fair deal of illicit imagery as a child (due to parental neglect). She did replicate, and much emotional scarring was caused.
I got 4 girls and caught my 12yo looking at it on the net, I pretended not to notice she looked embarrassed enough lol but when they are curious you can’t stop them looking
Damage might be a strong word. But I do recall my own experiences if I might get a bit personal.
When I was in 3rd or 4th grade we got the internet in our house for the first time. I don’t recall how but I somehow landed on an adult site during my normal browsings of disney.com and the like. What I remember is seeing for the very first time a close up of a certain sexual act, which ended up giving me nightmares for a few weeks, and confused my for several years more as to why someone would do that. Of course, by my teens I was really starting to get what it was all about, but as a wee child I don’t think I was really able to process it properly at the time, it was both horrifying and bewildering.
I’m pretty sure though, its not gonna scar a kid for life or anything…
My 3ds just came with a brain training game that I proboly should play for longer than one day……where do you buy a porn 3ds??
Also, I saw my cousins porn at 4/5ish…….until you have a better knolage of sex it’s just people who forgot to wear clothes……..and maybe a silly lady who mistook a guys doodle for a hotdog. Worse case you get a few question earlier than you wanted, proboly not a bad thing in the long run.
EDIT
*** there is porn and there in two girls one cup that to this day has me feeling a little queasy….I’m assuming the porn on this 3DS is garden variety home made porn***
lol “psychological damage”… For the parents maybe. Still not cool though.
I remember when a friend bought her kids a Nintendo Gameboy Advance SP (Old machine I know). In secret she took it out of the box, charged it, checked that it worked and put it back in the box and wrapped it. Smart because a kid does not want a present they can’t play with because it has a flat battery.
I remember one Christmas where my toy was broken in the box (and not from being shaken, I never did that) and it was weeks before we could get another one, while it didn’t ruin Christmas it certainly was an unpleasant experience before I was distracted by other gifts.
I find it hilarious that checking a present so that all the parts are there or that Electronics actually work isn’t something more people do.
As for the psychological damage, I think that’s more the parents having to talk to their kids about sex early. Unless it was weird porn.
That’s just wrong. They clearly sold him a used product as new.
“Tom Mayhew”
Please be related to Brandon.
Ruined? I think you meant a different word.
This reminds me of a secret Santa a few years back. I got the old bloke at work who swore like a sailor. So trying to be funny I buy him a porn DVD, wrapped it and put it under the tree at work, thinking that it will be unwrapped at work. I was not at work the day they handed out the presents, and when asked was told Ted took it home. Ted on chrissy day got his 8 year old grandson to unwrap it for him.