The Wire

This week the headlines read “child pornography at epidemic levels”. 180 Australians were arrested for child pornography charges in 2011 up from 136 in 2010. Not a story Australians want to see. But is it really as bad as it sounds?

This may indicate the industry is growing but the figures aren’t as they seem. Australian Federal Police say it comes down to an increase in information on the internet and an increase users. That then leads to more arrests. Visibility is also key – the more it’s out there in the community the more chance offenders will be caught.