Exposed: Website is popular with married men
They are the cheaters who were threatened with exposure by a group of hackers this week – but the Sunday World can reveal Ireland’s love rats have ignored the risks and are still looking for affairs online.
These blurred images mask the faces of Irish men who are continuing to use the seedy website Ashley Madison this week – despite the threat that details of their sordid activities will be leaked online.
The hook-up service – created so its members “could have a safe and secure place to have a discreet affair” – made international headlines after a team of cyber terrorists hacked into its database and threatened to leak the personal details of its 37 million members worldwide.
The hackers, who call themselves The Impact Team, claimed they would leak users’ names and addresses online – including saucy pictures and conversations – unless the site is shut down immediately.
But while the threat is very real for the 115,000-strong Irish members of the site, our undercover reporter discovered that sex-crazed Irish cheaters were still up to no good.
After the initial sign-up, which takes less than one minute, we were immediately inundated with messages from a string of serial love rats across the country.
One young businessman looking for an ‘encounter’ told us: “You wanna meet tonight?”
Adding that he was from south Dublin, he said: “New on this and just finished work bout two hrs ago.
“You up for an encounter or something? I have a car and still in my shirt and pants.”
When we refuse, undeterred he responds: “Hi. So you up for meeting during my lunch break some day?”
In just over an hour, our team received upwards of eight mails, the majority of which were from married men.
And within 48 hours our inbox had close to 100 mails and intimate photos from sex-mad men.
Some users, however, are more eager than others.
One attached user from Dublin – who goes by the name of Socrates – includes threesomes, sharing fantasies, sensual massage and spanking in his list of interests.
Taking an interest in our profile, the shameless 56-year-old says: “Be warned – it may be more than ignition. It could be the equivalent of a raging forest fire. Can you take the heat?”
‘Paul’ a business executive from Cork and a “novice” to the site, maintains that he’s in a sexless marriage and that he’s looking for some adventure.
“I don’t do this too often but if the opportunity arises and with the right company it’d be a shame to deprive ourselves of life’s pleasures”
Another 40-year-old user from Co. Down also claims that married life is proving a bore and he’s looking for some no-strings-attached fun.
“Not sure if ur intersted in a married man who would luv some excitement and passion back in his life because his wife has lost interest in sex. But if u r i would luv to hear from.”
Launched in Ireland in 2010, the site, run by Canadian owners Avid Life Media, has been targeted by the Impact Team because of its failure to delete the personal information of subscribers who leave the website, despite paying a $19 fee.
However, despite the threat of exposure Irish users remain undeterred.
As the messages begin to flow, we are inundated with ‘private photos’ – pictures of men proudly brandishing their privates – while others post half-naked images.
Sickeningly, some of the love rats even appear to post images of themselves and their other half online.
Among the would-be suitors there are some respectable, well-dressed, middle-class users who are happy to indulge in polite conversation.
Some men simply cite loneliness as the driving factor behind their online activity, while others are undoubtedly looking to kink up their sex life.
Despite the obvious risk factors involved in sending photos of your face to a complete stranger, none of these men are overly concerned that their spouse might discover their sordid secret.
With 70 per cent of all users reported to be men, women can join for free, which means it’s up to the men to pay in order to fulfil their seedy sexual fantasies.
While members explain ‘what turns them on’ – options include a high sex drive, aggressive/take charge nature, stamina, a naughty girl – their profiles all start to look the same after reading them for a period of time.
‘Tom’ from Galway says: “I’m looking for some fun and excitement, I’m in a sexless relationship and my partner occasionally works away.”
Other men voice much of the same motivations: “Looking for someone who is discrete. The spark has gone and I need the great sex life I used to have”
Ireland’s cheaters may refuse to go offline, but the hackers have already proven that they are intent on revenge, already exposing two Americans and a Canadian.
A statement from the group said: “Shutting down AM [Ashley Madison] and EM [Established Men] will cost you, but non-compliance will cost you more: we will release all customer records, profiles with all the customers’ secret sexual fantasies, nude pictures, and conversations.”
However, for the Irish men seeking affairs– the promise of getting no-strings attached sex online seem to outweigh the risks.