Government to ban extreme pornography

Tuesday, 30 August 2005 12:00 AM

The government is set to make the possession of extreme pornographic material illegal.

The new proposals would make it an offence to possess images of "serious sexual violence" and other obscene material.

The move follows an 18-month campaign by Liz Longhurst, whose daughter Jane was murdered in 2003 by a man obsessed with violent pornography.

"This is material which is extremely offensive to the vast majority of people, and it should have no place in our society," said Home Office minister Paul Goggins.

The government said all the material it proposes banning is already illegal to publish in the UK under the 1959 Obscene Publications Act.

"The fact that it is available over the internet should in no way legitimise it. These forms of violent and abusive pornography go far beyond what we allow to be shown in films or even sold in licensed sex shops in the UK, so they should not be available online either," Mr Goggins added.

The proposed changes to the law would make possessing images electronically no different from possessing actual photographs, in the same way current laws on possession of child pornography work.

The changes would not target people who accidentally came into contact with obscene pornography, the government said, nor would they be aimed at the mainstream entertainment industry - which works within current obscenity laws.

The minister also published a consultation paper asking for views on whether legislation is needed in this area; the ways the law could be amended; the categories of material that should be banned; and the penalties for possessing such pornography.

Responses to the consultation should be in by December 2nd, 2005.

The move has been welcomed by the Association of Chief Police Officers and the Scottish Executive.

Tags: