In
June 2009 the Ministry of Justice asked us to extend our national Hotline to
enable the public to report online non-photographic visual depictions of the
sexual abuse of children, covered by Sections 62 to 69 of the Coroners and
Justice Act 2009.
Following consultation with our Funding Council of industry members,
in October 2009 the IWF Board informed government of our agreement to
fulfil this role from 6 April 2010.
This means the public can report non-photographic visual depictions,
such as computer-generated images, of the sexual abuse of children to
the IWF if they are on a UK website. The legislation should only catch
material which is already illegal to publish here under the Obscene
Publications Act 1959.
The IWF will take further action to have this content removed, in
partnership with the police and the hosting provider, if it is hosted in
the UK and if we consider it meets all three of the following criteria:
1) That the image is pornographic;
2) That the image is grossly offensive, disgusting, or otherwise of an
obscene character;
3) That the image focuses solely or principally on a child's genitals or
anal region, or portrays any of the following acts:
a) the performance by a person of an act of
intercourse or oral sex with or in the presence of a child
b) an act of masturbation by, of, involving or in the presence of a
child
c) an act which involves penetration of the vagina or anus of a child
with a part of a person's body or with anything else
d) an act of penetration, in the presence of a child, of the vagina or
anus of a person with a part of a person's body or with anything else
e) the performance by a child of an act of intercourse or oral sex
with an animal (whether dead or alive or imaginary)
f) the performance by a person of an act of intercourse or oral sex
with an animal (whether dead or alive or imaginary) in the presence of
a child.
Key points
1. Our role regarding non-photographic visual depictions of child
sexual abuse, such as computer-generated images, comprises an extension
to our remit as follows:
- child sexual abuse images hosted anywhere in the world
- criminally obscene adult content hosted in the UK
- incitement to racial hatred content hosted in the UK
- non-photographic child sexual abuse images hosted in the UK.
2. The IWF will only address reports concerning such images when they
are hosted on UK websites.
3. On those rare occasions where such images are believed to be
criminal and are depicted on a website hosted in the UK we will work in
partnership with the hosting provider and the police to remove the
content and provide information to assist investigations into its
distribution.
4. Our industry members can refer to the IWF as a point of expertise
for advice on whether such images on their networks are potentially
criminal and should be considered for investigation by the police.
5. We will not be compiling a list of websites or URLs depicting
these images to enable service providers to block access to them.
6. The IWF has no role in the direct investigation of those involved
in the distribution or possession of this content.
7. IWF analysts train with the police regarding the assessment of
potentially criminal content.
Further information
Comment:
Not So Dangerous in Scotland
3rd May 2010. Thanks to Angelus
First, why is it that the IWF will not add sites containing
non-photographic visual depictions of the sexual abuse of children
(or drawings, as we used to call them in the old days) to its
watchlist? Are they any less illegal than other types of child
pornography?
Second, in regard to their remit to help remove such images in the
UK, has it escaped the IWF's notice that these images are still
perfectly legal to possess and distribute in Scotland?
Public
bodies have been banned from using internet companies that refuse to
block a range of websites specified by the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF).
