Teenage boys caught in child-porn probes

By ANGELA GREGORY

About 20 per cent of people investigated for trading child pornography are teenage boys.

The number of teenagers not only downloading but also swapping graphic images of tortured or raped children is worrying protection agencies.

Steve O'Brien, manager of the Department of Internal Affairs' censorship and compliance unit, said it appeared boys who began dabbling in pornographic images could quickly become addicted.

"Information from some is that they get hooked on this stuff."

Mr O'Brien said the boys were generally computer literate and had computers in their bedrooms.

"Parents need to take more active supervision."

Mr O'Brien said that of the more than 460 investigations run by his unit since it was set up in July 1996, about 20 per cent involved teenagers aged between 14 and 19.

Nearly all were boys.

Some of the images of children, being downloaded by children, were horrific, he said.

"It is sad that ones so young would be involved in this sort of material."

Mr O'Brien hoped that catching the boys at a young age would mean they could be helped before they went on to become fully fledged offenders.

Early intervention, including referrals to psychologists, had been shown to be successful.

Some cases were dealt with in family conferences and others were referred to police youth aid.

In September, an 18-year-old was convicted and fined $500 for advertising and distributing child pornography on the Internet.

Ecpat (End Child Prostitution, Pornography and Trafficking) national co-ordinator Denise Ritchie said some of the internet images were highly disturbing.

"It makes you question what kind of sexual views these young boys are growing up with.

"It is such an impressionable age to be forming views."