Child Pornography On Web 'Sickens' Cameron

The Prime Minister has demanded that internet search engines do more to rid the internet of child pornography.

Warning that lives were at risk unless something is done, David Cameron said he was "sickened" by the material available online.

Web firms including Google have been summoned to talks with Culture Secretary Maria Miller and Mr Cameron's adviser on the issue, Tory MP Claire Perry, on June 17.

Research by the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) has suggested that more than half of those who view child abuse images go on to commit abuse themselves.

Mark Bridger, who was convicted last month of the murder of five-year-old April Jones, was found to have a cache of 65 criminal abuse images.

Mr Cameron said: "I am sickened by the proliferation of child pornography. It pollutes the internet, twists minds and is quite simply a danger to children.

"Internet companies and search engines make their living by trawling and categorising the web.

"So I call on them to use their extraordinary technical abilities to do more to root out these disgusting images.

"That is why the Government I lead is convening a round-table of the major internet companies, and demanding that more is done.

"There are encouraging signs that the industry is willing to step up, increasing funding and technical support for organisations combating child sexual abuse imagery online. But I want more action.

"The time for excuses and blame is over - we must all work together."

Mr Cameron's comments come days after campaigners called on him to close a loophole in extreme pornography laws which they say has allowed the likes of Mark Bridger to view images portraying rape.

In a letter to the Prime Minister, Rape Crisis South London and 100 other organisations said an urgent change to legislation was needed.