Internet blamed for increase in child pornography

A massive increase in child pornography in the last 10 years is
likely to be linked to the growing demand for images on the
internet, according to a report by NCH, writes Sally
Gillen.

It showed that:

– In 1988, 35 people were cautioned or charged with child
pornography offences,

– The figure rose to 549 by 2001

– In 2002 6,500 names of people who had accessed internet
pornography were handed to police as part of Operation Ore.

The report argued that the internet has facilitated a huge
increase in the volume of child abuse images being viewed and
collected.

It added that images on the internet often act as a
“crucial trigger” for some men to sexually abuse
children.

The charity’s expert on online child pornography John Carr
said: “These numbers speak for themselves. The scale of the
problem has changed beyond recognition in the last
decade.”

Meanwhile, six major mobile phone companies, including Vodafone,
Virgin and Orange, have bowed to pressure from children’s
charities and will bring in regulations later this year to ensure a
person is older than 18 before selling them a phone with unlimited
access to the internet.

Child
pornography, child abuse and the internet