Italy investigating 186 over child torture site

Italy investigating 186 over child torture site (link)
Tue May 24, 2:10 PM ET

ROME (Reuters) - Italian police are investigating 186 people including three priests after uncovering an Internet pornography site for pedophiles that showed young children being tortured, an official said Tuesday.

Police said the anonymous web site had been protected by a password and was only accessible for nine days last year in an apparent effort to avoid detection.

But a tip-off to a child-abuse telephone helpline allowed computer experts to track down the users. Besides the Roman Catholic priests, police also believe a mayor, a teacher and a doctor downloaded illegal videos.

"The children on the films were aged between 4 and 8 at most. Some were abused, others were even tortured," said Domenico Di Somma, coordinator for the police computer investigation taskforce.

Police have confiscated computers across Italy, but have not yet pressed charges as they continue with their investigation.

The head of an Italian child protection organization said the case, which was centered on the Mediterranean island of Sicily, was just the tip of an iceberg.

"Dismay turns to uncontrollable rage when you are confronted by these images which not even the most hardened maker of horror films could bear to watch," Antonio Marziale of the Observatory of Child Rights was quoted as saying by Ansa news agency.

"Pedophilia has assumed emergency proportions and should be top of the government's agenda."

::shakes head::

Absolutely dreadful.

Posted by Kyer at May 24, 2005 05:52 PM