Sourcing phone porn could pose problem

GARDAÍ could have difficulties tracking the person responsible for circulating pornographic images of a schoolgirl by camera phone, because ready-to-go phones are untraceable.

As gardaí continued to examine the photograph yesterday in a bid to identify the girl who was pictured on a couch in a sexually explicit position, there were fears the perpetrator might not be found if a bill-pay phone was not used.

Most teenagers use ready-to-go phones because telecom companies require people to be at least 18 before they will provide them with a bill-pay phone. Ready-to-go phones are also commonly used by criminal gangs because their owners cannot be traced. This led to calls last night for all phones to be registered.