The Government has a responsibility to act against violent pornographic internet images which fuel dangerous and obsessive fantasies, a minister has said.
Downloading and possessing violent and abusive pornography would be banned under a new offence being proposed.
Home Office Minister Paul Goggins said: “These are images of the most horrendous and extreme kind that most people would find utterly repugnant.”
But it would be a defence from prosecution if someone had “come across it accidentally”, he told BBC Breakfast.
The plans were welcomed by the family of Jane Longhurst, the 31-year-old teacher from Brighton who was murdered in 2003 by a male friend, Graham Coutts, who was obsessed with violent internet pornography.
Her mother Liz, from Reading, Berkshire, has led a campaign to raise public awareness of the issue.
Mr Goggins said: “There is no conclusive proof that in every case certain types of images will have a certain impact on every individual.
“We know from that particular case, the horrendous case of Jane Longhurst, who was brutally murdered by Graham Coutts, that these images do have an impact, do feed the fantasies in certain individuals. We believe it’s our responsibility to prevent that from happening.”
Other forms of pornographic material are currently subject to the Obscene Publications Act 1959, but the internet is not covered.
Mr Goggins has published a consultation paper to gather opinion about the Government’s proposals. The deadline for submissions is December 2.
Is this a good idea to protect the public? Or an unlawful breach of human rights/freedom of speech? Whenever I see something like this I am concerned that it is a ruling made by a Government which is being pushed down the road to Political Correctness. What is next on their agenda? Violent games, violent movies? Books? There is a fine line between censorship and denial of freedom. I only hope that we do not cross it.
