Regulator’s emails over sex calls are blocked

THE telecoms regulator failed to solve the problem of householders receiving late-night telephone calls from adult chatline callers.

Some email messages sent from ComReg, which was tasked with solving the controversy over ‘Babestation’ sex chatline calls, ended up falling foul of the regulator’s internal email system and were blocked from sending.

They were quarantined due to the inclusion of ‘possible profanity’ and requests had to be made for the IT Department to allow them to be sent.

The premium rate telephone numbers used by the chatline operators were similar to local landlines of residents in Westport, Mayo.

Records from ComReg and the Department of Communications released under Freedom of Information reveal how several government ministers were being briefed on the controversy, including Minister Denis Naughten. The investigations came after complaints from Minister Michael Ring that one of his constituents was being ‘inundated with calls from people trying to contact these sex chat lines both day and night’.

The saga ended up being reported around the world with Babestation sending three models to personally apologise to residents of Westport.

The records show that the simplest solution might have been for the worst-affected resident to have his phone number changed.

In the end, Worldwide Digital – the company who run the lines – agreed they would change all the numbers after being alerted to the problem.