A Brazilian student has sold her virginity in an online auction for US$780,000 as part of a documentary organised by an Australian filmmaker, although a man who did the same only fetched US$3,000.
Catarina Migliorini, 20, was the subject of 15 bids, with a Japanese man named only as Natsu winning on Wednesday night, according to the website of the film "Virgins Wanted".
He beat out competition from 14 other men, mostly from Brazil but also from India, Australia and the United States.
A male whose virginity was also auctioned, 21-year-old Sydney student Alex Stepanov, fetched US$3,000, paid by a Brazilian woman.
Australian media said Migliorini would be "delivered" to her buyer on board a plane to Australia and that she would be interviewed before and after losing her virginity at a secret location.
Filmmaker Jason Sisely, who began his project in 2009 and caused outrage when he put posters up in Sydney and Melbourne saying "Virgins Wanted", said Migliorini was ecstatic and had not expected as much such interest.
"The auction closed last night and Catarina is extremely excited. She was speaking to her family in Brazil online and they were extremely happy for her," he told Australian online news site Ninemsn.
"But I guess they didn't expect her to do something like this."
He said the act would be consummated, but not filmed, in the next few weeks.
"We will fly over the winner to Australia and obviously, for the sake of the film and privacy, we can't disclose where and when the act will take place," he said. "I have to leave some details for the documentary."
On a "Virgins Wanted" trailer on YouTube, Migliorini said: "I haven't found the right person to do it with, I've been too busy with other stuff."
She added: "It's more sane than doing it drunk at a party with a stranger."
According to Britain's Daily Mail, Migliorini's decision to sell her virginity to the highest bidder has sparked outrage across the globe, with some claiming she was little more than a prostitute.
But she defended the move.
"I saw this as a business. I have the opportunity to travel, to be part of a movie and get a bonus with it," she was quoted by the Mail as saying.
"If you only do it once in your life then you are not a prostitute, just like if you take one amazing photograph it does not automatically make you a photographer."
She will reportedly use part of the cash to build homes for poverty-stricken families.
Sisely told Ninemsn that under the terms of the auction a condom was compulsory and Natsu must be tested beforehand for any sexually transmitted diseases.
"I'm looking forward to my audience's response to the film," he said.
