The newspaper reported that teen-produced child porn outnumbered production by middle-aged males two to one last year. Teens and preteens age 10-14 are among the alleged offenders.
Law enforcement officials said teens risked conviction by sharing nude images of their peers through mobile phones, digital cameras and video-sharing sites like YouTube.
"It provides the environment for curious kids to come across it or accidentally come across the material," Detective Inspector Chris O'Connor told the newspaper. “The Internet has provided the vehicle for deviant thought to foment among those who have a propensity more than just naivete or innocence. It heightens the risk of these children offending."
Last June, seven youths involved in the infamous Werribee sex DVD were convicted and sentenced to counseling.
The DVD showed the group of teens cheering as a 17-year-old female victim was subjected to sexual and physical attack. The girl was urinated on, had her hair set on fire, was poked with sticks and forced to perform sex acts.
The DVD, shot near the Werribee River, was distributed to school children in the area by one of the male teens who participated in the attack.
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