Child porn sale, circulation soars: study
8 July 2008, 12:06
The production, sale and circulation of child pornography is increasing at a worrying rate.
New US research shows Internet circulation has grown 400 percent, and the children being featured are getting younger.
Child protection authorities have also raised concern that children's exposure to pornographic material is abetting abuse.
At least 90 percent of child sex offenders in treatment with Childline viewed pornography they believe influenced their sexual assaults on other children.
This emerged on Monday at a workshop on the Films and Publications Act, hosted by the SA Human Rights Commission and the Democracy Development Programme.
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New US research shows Internet circulation has grown 400 percent, and the children being featured are getting younger.
Child protection authorities have also raised concern that children's exposure to pornographic material is abetting abuse.
At least 90 percent of child sex offenders in treatment with Childline viewed pornography they believe influenced their sexual assaults on other children.
This emerged on Monday at a workshop on the Films and Publications Act, hosted by the SA Human Rights Commission and the Democracy Development Programme.
Films and Publications Board chief executive Iyavar Chetty quoted American statistics from 2007 that estimated that the child pornography industry was worth between $3 billion and $20 billion (about R23,1-billion to R150-billion) a year.
"This is a global problem as it exists wherever you find a computer and a modem.
"Ordinary porn doesn't appeal to the public anymore because it has to be more graphic and more bizarre, and producers are using younger children."
Chetty said South Africa was one of only five countries taking more direct and "favourable" action through legislation in combating child pornography.
Chetty said the board was working with Internet and cell phone service providers to set standards to control content that is circulated.
Childline director Joan Van Niekerk said research showed that children were damaged by exposure to pornography.
Human rights commissioner Karthy Govender said the Films and Publications Act sought to regulate the production and distribution of material and punish those who exploited children through such material.
- This article was originally published on page 3 of The Pretoria News on July 08, 2008
Durban
