Corcoran Kennedy urges use of reporting website to stamp out child porn

Fine Gael Laois/Offaly Deputy, Marcella Corcoran Kennedy, has today (Thursday) called on the public to be vigilant to the signs of child pornography or child trafficking and to report any suspicions or evidence they may encounter online to the website hotline.ie.

“In the fight against child pornography and child trafficking, we all need to play our part. If we all remain vigilant and begin to raise awareness of these abhorrent practices, we can help to stamp out the victimisation and abuse of children.

“Hotline.ie is a website which allows members of the public to report suspected illegal content they encounter online. It offers a confidential and anonymous service through which child pornography can be reported and I would urge anyone who comes across any sort of suspicious material to report it through this means.

“The Hotline was established back in 1999 and is run by the Internet Service Providers of Ireland. It is operated under the supervision of the Department of Justice, in cooperation with An Garda Síochána and is a member of INHOPE, the International Network of Hotlines.

“The site offers advice on how best to keep your child safe online, while also offering tips on what to look out for when identifying the signs of child trafficking or the proliferation of child porn. People may stumble across websites or information accidentally online or may have their suspicions raised through engagement with online chat rooms, blogs or social networking sites.

“The old adage that the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing certainly applies in this case. This week we have seen the man, an Irishman, labelled by the FBI as the ‘largest facilitator of child porn on the planet’ being remanded in custody on foot of an extradition request from the US. Child porn is not something that happens in other parts of the world, it is happening here, right on our doorsteps.

“I would urge anyone who encounters anything on the internet relating to the gruesome and repugnant activity to contact hotline.ie in a bid to uncover the dark world of child porn and bring the perpetrators to justice.”