Internet Watch Foundation

Reports submitted to the Internet Watch Foundation online hotline have contributed to two arrests and convictions.

 

A 46 year old Canadian, and a 48 year old man from the UK were both arrested and later sentenced following information forwarded to the police by the IWF, relating to indecent images of children and a potential ‘grooming’ offence.

 

Details of a scheduled meeting between the Canadian and an underage girl were revealed in a report submitted via the IWF hotline.

 

Following detailed assessment of the report the information was passed on, with some urgency, to the relevant local law enforcement agency. The case was deemed serious enough for the Child Protection Unit of the Metropolitan Police to become involved and pursue.

 

After further investigation, a warrant was granted and the Canadian was apprehended. In his possession, he was found to have an imitation handgun and what was described as a ‘rape kit’.

 

Peter Robbins, CEO, IWF

 

The offender appeared in court in October and was sentenced to 4 years imprisonment for making indecent images.

Whilst checking the hard drive of this offender’s computer, the police found a conversation with another man, the 48 year male from London, who was describing how he abused his daughter.

 

This offender was also arrested and recently received 6 years imprisonment, for hands on abuse of his own daughter; filming the abuse and sending it as video files to the Canadian offender.

 

The UK Internet Industry founded the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) in 1996.

 

The IWF is uniquely placed in that it is the only authorised organisation in the UK that provides an Internet ‘Hotline’ for the public to report their exposure to illegal images online. It is strongly supported by the Government and Police to minimise the availability of illegal content on the Internet with particular reference to child abuse images originating anywhere in the world, criminally racist and criminally obscene content hosted in the UK.

 

It operates independently of Government and receives no annual funding from it.

The major part of financial support for the IWF comes from organisations commonly associated with the internet, such as ISP’s, Telco’s, content providers, mobile operators and manufacturers and other relevant organisations.

 

The IWF, in partnership with many other organisations, has an education and awareness role so that, as more and more people make more and more use of the Internet, some of the problems of Internet use - particularly the risks to children - and the mechanisms for dealing with these problems are better known and understood.

 

For more information see: www.iwf.org.uk

Tel: 01223 237 000