Recording your own sex acts more often than not ends up in tears. By the time your tapes turn up in public, it's too late.

This is happening to celebrities and the average citizen, too.

While the consequences of this practice are widely reported, strangely, the habit is being adopted by lots of young men and women in Thailand. It's exhibitionism and self indulgence.

Among the many incidences of unintentional release of explicit sex shots is that of a Hong Kong star and two women, one a popular singer and the other a former movie star.

In addition to a tearful apology live on TV, the scandal forced the man to quit filmdom. The singer went into seclusion, and the husband of the other woman divorced her.

Is Paris to blame?

Celebrities recording their raunchy sex acts in home videos started the craze.

Pamela Lee Anderson

and Paris Hilton were the victims of deliberate distribution for criminal or malicious intent.

Everyone has a right to document their sex acts or naked pictures.

But should celebrities be blamed for setting a bad example?

There's no rule saying the famous can't enjoy exhibitionism like everyone else.

Sex is fascinating, especially if it's among the rich and famous.

Pornography is the Internet's top draw card and a billion-dollar industry.

People are captivated by the morbid, too.

Witness the volume of downloads on the Internet of the hanging of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.

Here the rich and famous can today be seen engaged in raunchy recordings available on any high street.

Many of the incidences of released intimate material have not been unintentional.

These amateur porn stars have been made available for public consumption because of their own lack of restraint or even scruples.

Daily Xpress