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| Child abuse films 'traded in NI' | Child abuse films 'traded in NI' |
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| Hundreds of films showing the sexual abuse of children are being traded online by people in Northern Ireland, a US special agent has said. | Hundreds of films showing the sexual abuse of children are being traded online by people in Northern Ireland, a US special agent has said. |
| Flint Waters of the Wyoming Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force said more than 6,000 transactions took place in Belfast in the past three years. | Flint Waters of the Wyoming Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force said more than 6,000 transactions took place in Belfast in the past three years. |
| He said the films, which are violent, were typically of children under eight. | He said the films, which are violent, were typically of children under eight. |
| Jim Gamble of the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre said the net was closing on such predators. | Jim Gamble of the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre said the net was closing on such predators. |
| The comments were made on the BBC's Nolan Radio show on Friday. | The comments were made on the BBC's Nolan Radio show on Friday. |
| Mr Waters, who has spearheaded the fight against internet paedophiles in the States, poses as both a child and an abuser, in order to track down the offenders. | |
| He said pornography was being trafficked from Northern Ireland. He said about 100 paedophiles were involved. | He said pornography was being trafficked from Northern Ireland. He said about 100 paedophiles were involved. |
| There is an absolute determination across law enforcement to identify, locate and hold to account these individuals Jim GambleChild Exploitation and Online Protection Centre | There is an absolute determination across law enforcement to identify, locate and hold to account these individuals Jim GambleChild Exploitation and Online Protection Centre |
| "We are finding people from all over the world trading movies of children being raped," he said. | "We are finding people from all over the world trading movies of children being raped," he said. |
| "There are some instances where individuals in Northern Ireland are the folks that are continuing the traffic of those movies. | "There are some instances where individuals in Northern Ireland are the folks that are continuing the traffic of those movies. |
| "In Northern Ireland there is a lot of material we are seeing being traded, but when compared with parts of England and the United States it is a very small percentage." | "In Northern Ireland there is a lot of material we are seeing being traded, but when compared with parts of England and the United States it is a very small percentage." |
| Mr Waters pointed out that the movies showed high levels of sexual violence and abuse of young children. | |
| "Sometimes these movies are 30 minutes long, but these are not pictures of 16-year-old girls that look 20," he said. | "Sometimes these movies are 30 minutes long, but these are not pictures of 16-year-old girls that look 20," he said. |
| "We have 6,640 transactions of people offering to trade child pornography, just in Belfast, over the last three years." | "We have 6,640 transactions of people offering to trade child pornography, just in Belfast, over the last three years." |
| 'Net closing' | 'Net closing' |
| Mr Gamble said it was "unhelpful to speculate" about the numbers involved, because the data could only pinpoint computers involved in downloading images, not individuals. | Mr Gamble said it was "unhelpful to speculate" about the numbers involved, because the data could only pinpoint computers involved in downloading images, not individuals. |
| He added: "Within a population the size of Northern Ireland, do I think that within that territory there may be 100 people with a deviant sexual interest in children? Of course I do. | He added: "Within a population the size of Northern Ireland, do I think that within that territory there may be 100 people with a deviant sexual interest in children? Of course I do. |
| "The people in Northern Ireland who do this need to be seriously thinking today about walking in to a police station and handing themselves in. The net is closing. | "The people in Northern Ireland who do this need to be seriously thinking today about walking in to a police station and handing themselves in. The net is closing. |
| "There is an absolute determination across law enforcement to identify, locate and hold to account these individuals." | "There is an absolute determination across law enforcement to identify, locate and hold to account these individuals." |