International efforts help combat child porn

Internal Affairs Dept reviews 2002, pleased with cooperation between internat enforcement agencies to combat child porn

9 January 2003
The Internal Affairs Department is crediting its strong links with overseas enforcement agencies as a major reason behind its success in combating Internet child pornography

The head of the department's censorship regulation group, Keith Manch has completed his review of 2002.

He says last year, the highest penalty to date was handed out for dealing in child pornography over the Internet.

It was a two year prison term and fines totaling $21,000 received by Auckland man, Glenn William Roberts. He ran the websites at the centre of an international network linking at least 700 users of child pornography.

In total, 11 New Zealanders were convicted for child pornography last year. At any one time, another 20-25 cases were before the courts.

Mr Manch says an increased public understanding of the seriousness of the issue has also been satisfying.

"People are beginning to understand that the law is about helping to protect children from abuse. Children are deliberately abused to create child pornography. The pictures are traded internationally for the ?pleasure? of collectors."

Mr Manch says trading child pornography is seldom about making money but is about offenders constantly expanding their collections and searching for increasingly extreme images, with the most horrific examples involving babies or toddlers.

Department inspectors have shared information with US, Australian, European and Canadian enforcement agencies and with Interpol when investigating cases. Mr Manch says the Internet means that international borders are no longer barriers to communication and as offenders leave an electronic trail, agencies can easily track them and share information.

© 2010 NZCity, IRN