New York, Oct 18: The world's most popular video sharing website, YouTube channel "Sesame Street" returned to cyberspace after it was targeted by unknown hackers who replaced children's gaming video's with X-rated videos.

YouTube had taken the channel down on Oct 16, when its whole children's gaming video's like Ernie, Abby, Big Bird and the Cookie Monster were replaced with hardcore porn with the headline "Sesame Street New Content Special for Kids! Brought to you by Mr EdWxwx". The Mr EdWxwx is a gaming-oriented YouTube channel.

"We apologize for any inconvenience our audience may have experienced on Oct 16 on our Sesame Street YouTube channel," said in a statement on www.youtube.com/sesamestreet after it returned to cyberspace.

Parents of children said that adult videos were online for less than an hour and that "Sesame Street" had received no viewer complaints. They further said "We have great hopes that it was found out" before adult viewers could see the X-rated material.

Meanwhile, the identity of the hackers was unknown, but YouTube says it counsels its clients to adopt tougher security to avoid hackers.

OneIndia News