Governments tackle kids' access to cybersex

A joint US and UK government initiative aims to tackle the danger posed to children by pornographic websites.

The Home Office and the National Institute of Justice, the research development arm of the US Department of Justice, are forming a think tank to fight the problem.

Parry Aftab, an internet law specialist and executive director of watchdog Cyberangels, is helping to co-ordinate the initiative, which has yet to be announced. She stressed the need for parents and teachers to be aware of online safety, as new research reveals that children using the internet are at risk of being "lured into cybersex".

Out of 11,000 children online, some 60 per cent have entered porn sites through adverts, or been steered into sexual chat rooms, and 12 per cent have agreed to meet in person with a stranger that they have met online.

The survey also reveals that 30 per cent of respondents have been in a chat room where the discussion made them feel uncomfortable and 15 per cent have read messages on the web that threatened violence.

Aftab said: "These alarming statistics show that there is still a lot of work to be done to ensure that children understand how to use the internet safely."

Condemned.org, a group of ethical hackers that targets child pornography websites, told vnunet.com that it has shut down more than 1200 sites since last December.

Although hacking such sites through denial-of-service attacks and filling up bandwidth is illegal, Kent Browne of Condemned.org said the group is unlikely to be convicted of any crime. "The authorities have been slow to move in closing down sites," he said.

There are concerns that the problem will grow in the rush to get the population online with measures such as the government's financial backing of £240m to increase the provision of IT in the classroom, and ISPs offering cheaper internet access.

A conference entitled Kids Helping Kids will be held at the House of Lords on 8 May. The event will bring together the UK's leading authorities on child internet safety, aiming to unify goals and establish a single UK body.