The internet's role
By Ian Cobain

Guardian Unlimited, UK: 7 October 2006
http://business.guardian.co.uk/story/0,,1889778,00.html

The number of child pornography offences in Britain has soared by
about 1,500% since 1988 as a direct result of internet use, according
to a study by the children's charity, NCH. To date, the most
successful British campaign against purchasers of child pornography
has been Operation Ore, which has seen 7,250 suspects identified since
its launch four years ago. Almost 1,500 have been prosecuted, and more
than 100 children have been removed from situations in which they were
thought to be in danger.

Among those arrested, and later cautioned, was Pete Townshend, the
guitarist and songwriter with the rock band The Who.

Police relied upon credit card details which purchasers had given to a
child pornography business run by Thomas Reedy and his wife Janice
from their home in Fort Worth, Texas.

[Etc.]

[Also the old "$20 billion child porn business" is still going the
rounds.]

World's largest banks join forces to stamp out child internet porn

* Proposed body will share information about sites
* Paedophiles can have access to finance cut off

By Jill Treanor

Guardian Unlimited, UK: 7 October 2006
http://www.guardian.co.uk/frontpage/story/0,,1889912,00.html

The world's biggest banks are joining an international effort to crack
down on child pornography on the internet by taking action to cut off
its sources of financing.

Last month at the meeting of the International Monetary Fund - an
annual gathering of the most powerful international financiers - up to
50 of the world's largest financial institutions were canvassed for
their views.

The UK's financial community was yesterday urged to join the campaign
and hammer out solutions to a business estimated to be worth between
$5bn and $20bn (£2.7bn and £10.7bn) globally - six times larger than
the online music trade.

[Etc.]