Internet Service Providers Unite to Stop Predators

NEW YORK, NY (LifeSiteNews) - Last week, Internet Service Providers (ISPs) AT&T and AOL-Time Warner joined Time Warner, Sprint, and Verizon in shutting down child pornography Web sites from their servers. The announcement came through New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo.

Time Warner, Sprint, and Verizon have donated $1.1 million to the Attorney General's ongoing child pornography investigations.

Officials initiated an eight-month investigation into child pornography on the Internet and found 88 different news groups that were devoted to child porn. All 88 of these news groups are being shut down by the aforementioned cable/Internet providers.

Child pornographers and pedophiles have been dealt two major defeats in the past six months, as the U.S. Supreme Court recently upheld a federal ban on child pornography, and now, as cable providers have begun removing such sites from servers.

In the past, ISPs have refused to take action against blatant purveyors of child pornography, and neither federal nor state prosecutors have tried to force ISPs to act.

The New York Attorney General's office has created a new Web site, http://www.nystopchildporn.com, which provides details on which ISPs have signed agreements with his office to eradicate access to child porn on their servers.

Matt Barber, Director of Cultural Affairs with Liberty Counsel, commented, "This is an encouraging initial first step, spearheaded by some of the world's leading ISPs. They are to be commended for moving in the right direction. Hopefully, other ISP's will follow suit and take similar measures to protect children.

"Still," he continued, "much more needs to be done. ISPs must take the logical next step and begin blocking the very adult obscenity which, through the law of diminishing returns, often leads to consumption of child pornography.

"Research has established that, like a gateway drug, adult obscenity can ultimately lead to child abuse. Internet obscenity, at every level and every stage of production, destroys those it touches. Men, women, children, families and larger society are demonstrably harmed by such smut. It's simply undeniable."

Liberty Counsel is encouraging concerned citizens to "let these companies know you appreciate their actions":

---

LifeSiteNews.com is a non-profit Internet service dedicated to issues of culture, life, and family. It was launched in September 1997. LifeSiteNews Daily News reports and information pages are used by numerous organizations and publications, educators, professionals and political, religious and life and family organization leaders and grassroots people across North America and internationally.