Charles Clarke and paedophiles

[Yaman Akdeniz]

From: Yaman Akdeniz
To: cyber-rights-uk and ukcrypto mailing lists
cc: Watkin Simon, the Home Office

Mr. Charles Clarke: 26 Jul 2000 : Column 1208, Hansard
“If Internet companies are undermined by paedophiles using their 
organisation to get material to others who use it, that undermines 
the future prospects of the industry."

Yet another quote from Mr. Clarke about paedophiles and misuse of the 
Internet. He seems so convinced that the RIP Bill/Act will give them 
the appropriate measures to deal with "paedophiles" and with others 
who misuse the computer networks.

However, Mr. Clarke never ever mentioned the fact that the law 
enforcement agencies in the UK has been successful so far dealing 
with those who possess, distribute, and create child pornography over 
the Internet or via post or by any other means.

And Mr. Clarke was well aware of the Home Office statistics (which 
are re-produced through http://www.cyber-
rights.org/reports/ukcases.hrm) as he was the Home Office official 
who did present these figures in the Parliament via a written answer 
on 8 December, 1999.

There were 254 successful prosecutions between 1996-1998 for 
taking,making, and distributing child pornography, and 265 successful 
prosecutions for the possession of child pornography for the same 
period. This gives us a total of 519 successful prosecutions within a 
two year period and since 1994 (when the laws were amended to take 
into account computers), there has been more and more prosecutions. I 
could even argue that with the advancement of new technologies and 
"paedophiles" using the Internet, these invisible crimes suddenly 
become more visible.

There are more statistics related to child pornography available 
through my web pages and again Charles Clarke and the Home Office are 
already aware of these. All these successful prosecutions have been 
secured pre-RIP and the law enforcement agencies have been in my view 
more than capable of dealing with such crimes but I have not come 
across any positive statement in relation to such success - please 
correct me if I am wrong.

Furthermore, there are a number of child pornography and Internet 
related cases that I provide information about on the above pages and 
it is very difficult to categorise all these guilty of child 
pornography related crimes as "paedophiles" as there are a number of 
cases in which the only crime involved was possession of child 
pornography. 

I am sure the issue of whether to call them "paedophiles" is 
debatable but I am very much concerned about ministers making such 
statements and child pornography being used to justify such intrusive 
legislation as the RIP Bill/Act.

I just wanted to point this to those who are interested with the 
policy issues related to the RIP Bill/Act.

Any comments (including from the Home Office) are welcome.


Mr. Yaman Akdeniz,
Director, Cyber-Rights & Cyber-Liberties (UK)
Url: http://www.cyber-rights.org
E-mail: lawya@cyber-rights.org
Tel: +44 (0) 498 865116
PGP Fingerprint:
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