The age of the computer has brought with it some fantastic new and innovative ways of working, researching, buying and selling. Now, what we could once only glimpse at through a book, mail order catalogue or visit a shop is readily available at the click of a button.

As with every new invention, criminals and especially paedophiles seem to find a way to abuse these systems bringing with them the darker and more disturbing side of such innovation.

Internet Child Pornography

All child pornography is crucially harmful and damaging to children in whatever forms it is produced because it involves using children at some level to produce it. Classed as ‘visual record of the sexual abuse of a child, either by adults, other children or which involves bestiality”.

For further details on the different classes of child pornography please refer to the Sex Offences Act 2003 – this came into force on the 1^st May 2004.

A complete version of the Sex Offences Act (SOA 2003) can be obtained from the following link

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2003/ukpga_20030042_en_1

Pseudo Paedophilia

Pseudo Paedophilia is plainly and simply another way of using children for sexual gratification; this is one of the more distorted kinds of abuse because those that do it actually believe (or choose to make it right in their heads) that children are not being harmed. The process involves taking images of adults and changing their physical appearance, such as shrinking breasts and reducing other bodily parts so that they appear childlike.

We have researched some of the major organisations that are working towards a safer Internet.

The Internet Watch Foundation is a UK hotline for reporting illegal content http://www.iwf.org.uk/police/page.22.36.htm  - it is linked to the following organisations.

Internet Content Rating Association – which is part of the Family Online Safety Institute http://www.fosi.org/icra/

INHOPE was founded in 1999 under the EC Safer Internet plus Programme. It represents internet hotlines around the world, supporting them in their aim to respond to reports of illegal content to make the internet safer.

The Virtual Global Taskforce (VGT) is made up of police forces from around the world working together to fight online child abuse.

http://www.virtualglobaltaskforce.com/

Crisp® are the foremost experts on the dangers of online grooming and internet bullying within your child’s online world – from social networks, instant messaging to online games.

http://www.crispthinking.com/