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PORNOGRAPHY
IS LINKED TO ABUSE
Various studies have shown that between 35 - 50%
of child porn collectors have a history of abusing
children.
In the last three years 44% of the people arrested
in Toronto for possessing child pornography have
also been charged with or convicted of sexually
abusing children. "Everybody we arrest says
'I don't do anything other than look. I would never
abuse. I just do it for my own personal pleasure.'
Well, I know that almost 50% of those people lie,"
says Detective Sgt. Paul Gillespie.
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When the Landslide investigation broke
in the U.S. in 1999 (see more),
Texas prosecutor Terri Moore was anxious to find
exactly who was buying the pornography. "The
Holy Grail on the case was to get the list of subscribers
that were buying this...because these are the people
that could actually be paedophiles."
USING PHOTOS TO MANIPULATE CHILDREN
According to studies done by the COPINE Project
in Ireland, the easy availability of child porn
on the internet can fuel a paedophile's fantasies.
It can also be used to start the cycle of abuse.
Their research shows that paedophiles will often
manipulate young children by showing them pictures
on the internet. It's a way to make them believe
that sex with adults is acceptable. They'll also
use the photographs to teach the children to do
what they want. And finally they may use the images
to blackmail victims for their silence.
THE PHOTO AS
A CRIME SCENE
Detective constable Sue Burke says although it's
difficult to look at all those disturbing pictures,
there can be a payoff. "You know what? It's
worth it when you find one of those kids. And that's
the main focus. We've got to find those kids."
Each photograph is a crime scene.
In Britain, police Inspector Terry Jones of the Manchester
police force used a single image from a porn collection
to find a video on a Japanese web site. In the video's
background they noticed a chocolate bar ad in a TV
show. By narrowing down the times and places the ad
ran, they arrested a man who was sexually abusing
little girls in southern England.
Out of the thousands of victimized children on the
internet less than 500 worldwide have been identified
so far.
THE INTERNET
AND CHILD PORN
Child porn sites and newsgroups offer ways to network
with other offenders who often swap messages with
each other. Some people offer their own children
to other paedophiles or post details about the children
they have already abused.
On-line chat groups are also an easy way to connect
with children for sex. According to a study by Microsoft,
80% of children have computers in their home and
25% of them had already been invited to meet a stranger
that they'd chatted with on-line.
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Paul Krawczyk, a Toronto detective
constable, has been specially trained by the FBI
to catch paedophiles at their own game. For instance
in one case he assumed the identity of 13 year-old
girl in a chat room.
When the exchange with an adult man grew provocative
and moved in the direction of sex, he agreed to
meet his 'date' in a pre-determined location. Instead
of a 13 year-old girl, the man - a married professional
with children of his own - found himself arrested
by a squad of police.
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