Well, we knew the laws against child pornography were nothing to do
with protecting children, didn't we?

News report:
=========================================
BAN URGED ON CHILD ABUSE IMAGES

BBC News, UK: 13 December 2006
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6175441.stm

Computer-generated child abuse images should be banned and a new "kite
mark" standard introduced for software to protect children from
paedophiles.

The Home Secretary, John Reid, said the Cabinet was discussing how to
ban the images, including cartoons and graphic illustrations of abuse.

While distributing such images is illegal, it is legal to possess
them.

He also said that by spring, approved parental control software would
come with a British Standards' Kitemark.

Mr Reid told the Task Force on Child Protection on the Internet there
was "no higher purpose" for government, "than to protect children".

==== 'Abhorrent images' ====

"Computer-generated images of child abuse are often found by police
stored alongside illegal material held by paedophiles," he said.

"Yet, at the moment, while it is illegal to distribute these abhorrent
images, it is entirely legal to possess them."

John Carr of children's charity NCH said the images were becoming more
prevalent: "The fact that they are legal sends out totally the wrong
message to child abusers.

"Banning their possession is the only sensible way forward."

Mr Reid also said the task force had developed an industry standard
for software to help parents protect their children from internet
paedophiles.

The "kite mark" would be given to programs meeting minimum standards,
to give parents confidence that the product chosen is effective and
simple to use.

A training pack for prison, probation and social workers on the
dangers of the internet and how to spot warning signs, has also been
developed.

Jim Gamble, of the Child Exploitation and Online Protection centre,
said the move would close "legislative loopholes", better inform the
public, and allow experience to be shared between professionals.