YESTERDAY afternoon about 30 or 40 people were "trading" collections of pictures on an Internet Relay Chat (IRC) channel. About 17 were doing the same on another. The names of the channels left no doubt as to their paedophile content.

The "users" have nicknames: Kinkyguy, Kate16, Nudedad land JimmyV were among the list of men on one channel. JimmyV, who appears to be operating from the United States, was communicating with another user, Tryhard.

Their communication, visible on the screen went: "What you got/want?" The reply came back: "Young, young. You got any toddler pies?" "No, but would like to see. I will send you my/your best."

Their conversation ended as They began sending the paedophile pornography to each other's computers.

Only for the few moments that their introductions were made and their conversation took place were JimmyV and Tryhard at any risk of identification.

When they began the work of exchanging their collections of pornography they became invisible again.

Computer literate paedophiles would regard JimmyV and Tryhard's brief encounter as foolhardy.

IT is known that investigators are searching for the paedophiles. Police officers from the London Metropolitan Police Force, and soon from other European countries, are scanning these channels, searching for ways to find and stop the men who populate this murky world.

The clever paedophiles are hiding under layers of electronically encrypted cover almost impossible to detect or uncover.

Still, a few dozen men were drifting in and out of the near public access paedophile channels on the Internet yesterday. However, in the early hours the paedophile channels become busy again as large numbers of Americans come on to the system during their evening time. The Internet paedophiles appear to have an avaricious appetite for pornography. Asiatic children appear in large numbers.

Among the most frightening series of pictures, available across the paedophile channels, shows a girl of about nine or 10 being subjected to abuse involving bondage.

THE male, white and mainly middle-aged abusers are almost always hidden in the pictures with only their naked torsos or hands appearing.

The constant questioning from the paedophile channel users is for "new" material.

It is clear that many of the Internet paedophiles have collected many thousands of images but still risk trawling the semi-public channels seeking new material. It is possible to collect thousands of pornographic pictures and even brief video images within a short time. This quest for "new" material and for new connections with other paedophiles is what appears to drive the paedophile world on the Internet.

And it is this demand which, police officers in Britain and some other countries where thin activity is being observed conclude, is contributing to the abuse of children.

The pornography traded on the Internet is done without charge so the only premium is on the "new" material.

The activity on the Internet is illegal in several countries but not, it is understood, in this State.

According to investigators, users of the paedophile Internet channels from Ireland - identifiable by their electronic addresses - are appearing regularly.

As it becomes increasingly clear that the paedophiles have almost nothing to fear from the State, it is likely that use of the Internet pornography will increase.

It was not possible to discern any Irish users yesterday afternoon. Towards tea-time, however, the channels were becoming busier.

Switching channels it was possible to observe a ringleader, known as an "operator", calling himself Tony12, scanning the new arrivals on his personal channel, probing the new arrivals, asking about their preferences, disappearing to trade.