EU wants tougher action over child porn websites

BRUSSELS, BELGIUM: The EU Commission wants member states to agree to block access to child pornography websites and impose tougher punishments on child abusers and human trafficking gangs, it said on Monday.

"Child pornography is not about freedom of expression. It is a horrendous crime. It is not about circulating an opinion," EU Home Affairs Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said.

"Child pornography means images of children suffering sex abuse. Downloading or viewing child pornography on the internet leads to more children being raped to produce those images," she told a news conference.

The Commission, the EU's executive, is proposing a package of measures to strengthen the bloc's fight against child pornography, including harmonising the prosecution of child abuse and human trafficking, and more severe punishments for both first-time and repeat offenders.

The Commission said some forms of sexual violence were on the rise and the number of websites devoted to child pornography was growing, with about 200 images containing child pornography put into circulation every day.

Malmstrom said the proposals would also cover new forms of abuse such as luring or 'grooming' children through the internet, viewing child pornography without downloading files, and making children pose sexually in front of webcams.

The plan would compel national governments to block access to child pornography websites, especially those hosted outside EU borders.

The Commission proposals will be debated by ministers and lawmakers before being adopted, possibly with amendments, by the 27 member governments.