uk detectives charged to trace paedophiles

The special squad of UK Detectives who track paedophiles across the Internet are being charged for information by British Telecom, it was revealed this week in the UK current affairs television program, "Tonight with Trevor McDonald" (ITV).

As the technology and methods used by these paedophiles become more sophisticated, so the police rely more frequently on external resources. But, it has been confirmed by Scotland Yard that, unlike most service providers (who let police check their records free of charge), BT are charging them �130 for each trace.

It has been reported that a spokesman for BT cited the alarming growth of paedophilia on the web as being partly to blame for the company's charges and that the company was justified in recovering some of the costs incurred in providing help.

"We do a lot of work for the police and we are dealing with an increasing number of internet requests. We do make a modest charge for providing this help, but in no way does this go all the way to re-couping the costs involved."

A police spokesman told "Tonight with Trevor McDonald":

"This is morally wrong. While BT has every right legally to recover the cost of carrying out searches they must surely balance this out with the ethical questions involved here. Surely they would want to make sure that paedophiles are not operating on the net just as we are striving to do."

The outraged parents of murdered British 8 year-old, Sarah Payne commented on BT's charges, saying:

"We are trying to protect our children, their safety shouldn't have a price attached to it - this service should be provided free of charge. BT makes enough profit as it is. How can it possibly justify charging the police for this critical information. They are just hindering their work."

BTinternet (the British Telecom ISP and a member of both the Internet Watch Foundation and the Internet Service Provider Association) was launched in March 1996 and claims to have rapidly established itself as one of Britain's leading Internet Service Providers.

British Telecom consistently portray themselves as a community orientated organization, "BT is committed to making a difference in society ". Constantly criticized for their high charges and obseen profits, it is food for thought then, that in an area where they have the resources to assist UK police officers swiftly and efficiently, BT's co-operation can only be retained at a price.

The British Secretary of State, Rt Hon Jack Straw MP and OFTEL (the regulator for the UK telecoms industry) should be urged to discuss this issue with BT's Chairman, Sir Iain Vallance and strongly encourage him to waive all charges made to our police officers, immediately.

Don't you think that the police, by default, have the right to unhindered access to these crucial records? Every condition made before a trace is completed is going to lengthen the process and delay paedophiles being stopped.

Your views, suggestions and comments on this unacceptable situation are invited, please, tell us what you think!

Contact the UK Government about this issue.