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Thousands of Nova Scotians trading child porn on the Internet

Date: January 31, 2008
Source: Amherstdaily.com
By: PAUL MCLEOD

Never-before-released data obtained by the Halifax Daily News shows thousands of Nova Scotians are actively involved in trading child pornography.

A national survey by the Toronto Police Department reveals the shocking scope of the online sex trade across Canada. In 2007 there were 5,515 IP addresses from Nova Scotia actively trading child pornography.

IP or Internet Protocol numbers are linked to a specific computer when it connects to the Internet. Some computers have a permanent IP number. Others have the number change periodically.

In Nova Scotia the numbers typically last a few months. But while some IP numbers have doubtlessly been counted more than once, police say the number of porn traders they don’t know about should more than makes up for the duplications.

“It’s only a small glimpse into what we know is out there. I feel very comfortable in saying whatever number you’re provided is probably very conservative,” said Det. Sgt. Kim Scanlan of Toronto’s Child Exploitation Section.

“We’re trying not to send the nation into a frenzy but they need to realize we have a social problem.”

In a narrower snapshot, there were 1,720 IP addresses linked to child porn between April 1 and August 1 of 2007.

Toronto police officials didn’t go into great detail about the methods used in the survey, so as to not reveal their tactics to child pornography traders. But they did say the data concludes there is easily thousands of people involved in the trade in Nova Scotia.
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