Sir, – The news that photographs of teenage girls have been taken from Facebook and placed on a pornographic website will not only alarm parents across the country but has shown once again that our internet laws urgently need updating ("Use of women's Facebook pictures on pornographic site investigated", January 15th).
Yet despite the general acceptance that reform is needed, one vital piece of legislation, the Sexual Offences Bill, which includes measures to combat child grooming, is facing a race against the clock to be passed by TDs and Senators before the general election.
The Bill, drawn up after years of reviewing our outdated laws on prostitution and sex trafficking, creates an offence of child grooming with jail sentences of up to 14 years, has measures to combat the use of online images for sexual purposes and targets the buyers of sex, whose actions fuel a €250 million a year sex trafficking and prostitution trade run by criminal gangs in this country.
Despite enjoying broad political support, including both parties of Government and the two main Opposition parties, this important piece of legislation faces an 11th-hour battle against time to become reality.
The Immigrant Council of Ireland is calling for the political consensus behind the Bill to be turned into action and for all TDs and Senators to honour their commitments by ensuring the important measures it contains become a reality to safeguard our young people both online and in the community. – Yours, etc,
DENISE CHARLTON,
Immigrant Council
of Ireland,
Andrew Street, Dublin 2.