Parents must be wary of risks

CLAIMS that Irish children have been used in the making of child pornography are extremely disturbing and throw the present controversy into sharp relief.

The claim is made by CARI, a service for families and children, as dozens of people face prosecution for possession of pornographic images downloaded from the internet.

Up to now, the unconscionable practice of child pornography has generally been associated with Asia or Eastern Europe. According to CARI, however, accounts of Irish children being filmed and viewed on computers have come from the victims and also from statutory bodies involved in child protection and the investigation of crime.