Child pornography is increasingly available on the World-Wide Web and the growing sophistication of the technology is creating new opportunities for abuse, according to a Department of Justice report.
The study, Illegal and Harmful Use of the Internet, says that facilities, including newsgroups, mailing lists, e-mail and chat services, are all being used to disseminate pornographic material or related information.
The report, from a working group established by the Minister for Justice early last year, recommends the introduction of a self-regulation framework in the sector to deal with misuses. This would include the development of codes of practice by the main service providers, as has already happened in countries including the UK, Australia and Japan.
The study notes that the Internet Service Providers' Association of Ireland is already committed to establishing common codes of practice. But the authors also call for the establishment of a non-statutory "hotline agency" to investigate complaints from users about illegal content.
The report notes that while initial research suggested "no unambiguous example of child pornographic material" was available on the World-Wide Web, recent research by one member of the group, Professor Max Taylor of UCC, Cork, suggested it was an increasing problem.
"Over 40 sites, mostly Japanese, containing photographs of naked female children were identified. Gaining access to additional photographs through these sites required either a password/controlled membership or access to a bulletin board, the address for which is provided."
The report also identifies as "a major concern" the ease with which pornographic material can be "accessed, stored and disseminated" on the Internet. It adds: "There is a strong perception that the Internet has become a major factor in the development of paedophile rings world-wide, and many recent convictions in the US and the UK have shown that the medium is being widely used by members of such rings, both to share experiences and to traffic in pornographic images."
One of the main recommendations of the report is the appointment by the Government of an advisory board under an independent chairman.
