Pic-phone porn ‘a huge future problem’

THE spread of child pornography on picture phones will cause a “huge future problem”, according to an anti-paedophile unit.

The Combating Paedophile Information Networks in Europe (COPINE) project said it was much more difficult to track illegal activity on picture phones.

"What we look at on the internet is hard enough but at least it's relatively accessible. This stuff, you can only know about it, if you know about it," said Prof Max Taylor.

Three students in a southside Dublin school were suspended last term for passing on pornographic images via their picture phones. But experts are even more worried about paedophiles exploiting the technology.

Yesterday, the National Children's Homes charity warned in its study entitled Child Pornography, Child Abuse and the Internet that the imminent arrival of third-generation (3G) internet mobile phones could make the problem even worse.

In Japan, where 90% of the population have 3G phones, paedophiles are using them to exchange pictures and videos with schoolchildren.

"The phone companies are aware of the issue, and it may be possible to deal with it by actively monitoring the transmission of big image files," said Prof Taylor.

Pornography can also be blocked from reaching mobile phones using filtering software which analyses the level of flesh tones in an image.

Vodafone, O2 and other operators in Britain will be obliged to introduce a protective system by June but have not announced any plans for the Irish market.

The Minister for Children Brian Lenihan said the sending of adult and child pornography to children's phones was a "serious issue" and would be fully investigated.

The Government's Internet Advisory Board is to discuss the problem at its meeting later this month.

The Irish Society for the Prevention for Cruelty to Children (ISPCC) said it would welcome any technology that would deal with the problem.

It has also raised concerns about an increase in "text-message bullying". Children who have contacted the service report that they are being woken up at night with dozens of intimidating messages.

"This is worse than conventional bullying because the bully doesn't even have to be near the child to reach them," said director of services Grace Kelly.