Internet Watch Foundation said in its annual report that there is four times the amount of child porn online than there was just four years ago, but what worries the foundations leaders is the fact that CP content has become increasingly graphic and abusive.
"We're talking about prepubescent children being raped," said Peter Robbins, the foundation's chief executive.
Rick Louis, manager of communications and government affairs for ASACP, told XBIZ that the group also has noticed a significant increase in the number of CP reports. He said that the images of children in these pornographic depictions have become more hardcore, and even graphic.
"The children in some of these images appear to have been injured, malnourished and even tortured," Louis said. "Further, many images feature very young children and even infants. ASACP began reporting on this trend about a year ago."
Louis said ASACP's findings also have been confirmed by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the Financial Coalition Against Child Pornography.
Internet Watch Foundation reported it received nearly 32,000 CP reports last year. ASACP's figures are almost twice that, and Louis said there is potential for the number to jump as high as 80,000 in 2007.
"Last year ASACP's online CP reporting hotline received about 51,000 'raw' reports," Louis said. "But the first few months of 2007 have seen an increase. If we stay at the current rate we could top 80,000 raw reports [this year.]"
