|
Press
Release
FINANCIAL AND INTERNET INDUSTRIES TO COMBAT INTERNET CHILD PORNOGRAPHY
Child
Pornography Fact Sheet
ALEXANDRIA, VA, March 15, 2006 – Eighteen of the
world’s most prominent financial institutions and Internet industry
leaders have joined with the National Center for Missing & Exploited
Children (NCMEC), and its sister organization, the International Centre
for Missing & Exploited Children (ICMEC) in the fight against Internet
child pornography. The goal is to eradicate commercial child pornography
by 2008.
The new Financial Coalition Against Child Pornography includes leading
banks, credit card companies, third party payment companies and Internet
services companies. Founding members of the Coalition include America
Online, American Express Company, Bank of America, Chase, Citigroup, Discover
Financial Services LLC, e-gold, First Data Corporation, First National
Bank of Omaha, MasterCard, Microsoft, North American Bancard, PayPal,
First PREMIER Bank/PREMIER Bankcard, Standard Chartered Bank, Visa, Wells
Fargo, and Yahoo! Inc.
The Coalition will work in collaboration with Child Focus of Belgium,
the European Federation for Missing and Sexually Exploited Children, the
International Association of Internet Hotlines (INHOPE), the U.S. Office
of the Comptroller of the Currency, and law firm DLA Piper Rudnick Gray
Cary.
Child pornography has become a multi-billion dollar commercial enterprise
and is among the fastest growing businesses on the Internet. The Internet
has enabled instant access to child pornography by thousands and possibly
millions of individuals around the world. And the ability to use credit
cards and other payment methods has made purchasing child pornography
easy.
Senator Richard C. Shelby (R-AL), Chairman of the Senate Banking, Housing
and Urban Affairs Committee, was the catalyst in bringing these industry
leaders together to address the problem. In challenging them to join with
NCMEC and ICMEC in this effort, Senator Shelby said, “If people
were purchasing heroin or cocaine and using their credit cards, we would
be outraged and would do something about it. This is worse.”
The exact number of child pornography web sites is difficult to determine.
In 2001, the CyberTipline operated by NCMEC had received more than 24,400
reports of child pornography. By the beginning of 2006, that number had
climbed to more than 340,000.
“Not only have we seen an increase in reports of Internet child
pornography, but the victims are becoming younger and the images are becoming
more graphic and violent,” said Ernie Allen, President and CEO of
NCMEC and ICMEC, and Chairman of the Coalition. “To eliminate the
commercial viability of child pornography, we must stop the flow of money.
To do that, we need the involvement of the world’s leaders in the
payments industry and the Internet. The founding members of the Financial
Coalition Against Child Pornography are to be commended for joining this
critical fight.”
If members of the public have knowledge of a child pornography web site
they are encouraged to report it immediately to the CyberTipline managed
by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (www.cybertipline.com
or 1-800-843-5678). Citizens outside the United States can call the CyberTipline
or can contact any number of hotlines around the world. To learn more
about these hotlines, visit the website of the International Association
of Internet Hotlines (INHOPE) at www.inhope.org.
About the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
NCMEC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that works in cooperation
with the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency
Prevention. NCMEC's congressionally mandated CyberTipline, a reporting
mechanism for child sexual exploitation, has handled more than 365,600
leads. Since its establishment in 1984, NCMEC has assisted law enforcement
with more than 117,100 missing child cases, resulting in the recovery
of more than 99,500 children. For more information about NCMEC, call its
toll-free hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST or visit www.missingkids.com.
About the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children
ICMEC, the sister organization of NCMEC, is a private, nonprofit 501
(c) (3) nongovernmental organization. It is the leading agency working
on a global basis to combat child abduction and exploitation. For more
information visit www.icmec.org.
CONTACT:
Communications Department
NCMEC
703-837-6111
|
Privacy Policy
