Geraint's Speech to Parliament moving his Bill to combat internet child pornography through credit card regulation:-

Mr Speaker,

I beg to move that leave be given to bring a Bill

to impose penalties on debit and credit card providers for the facilitation of the downloading of child pornography from the internet; and for connected purposes.

My Bill, on credit card regulation & child pornography, will penalise credit card companies which enable the downloading of child pornography off the internet.

‘Child pornography is one of the fastest growing businesses online’ according to The International Business Times

And let’s not forget that behind every image is a child who has been abused... tragically immortalised on the web

Until 2002 users simply submitted their credit and debit card details on line to download images of abuse from the web

These days the new route for users is to hide their identity by using pre-paid credit cards to download images.

These pre-paid cards are available to adults and children for a £100 a time at service stations and high street retailers without having to provide proof of identity.

These Visa, Mastercard and other cards are then used to download images of child abuse by simply clicking on spam links to enter a growing number of sites

The user simply exchanges the credit card number and its value for a password to enable downloading

And if more credit is needed it’s just a matter of buying more £100 cards to pay for more and more abuse 

And the same cards are used by children to buy knives, alcohol etc on line

All the buyer has to do is put his name and address down as say Donald Duck at Buckingham Palace and away he goes.

The simple fact is that, under current legislation, no proof of identity is required for card values below £100 or 150 Euros

So the existing controls, which were designed to target money laundering via the now abolished Financial Services Authority, don’t work to protect children or to stop the growth of on-line child pornography.

That’s why Parliament should back the provisions of my Bill to make credit and debit card companies liable for penalties when their cards are used to download abuse.

And the provisions will work...

International evidence shows that the authorities can target payment systems to change behaviour.

For example, in the USA credit card companies were banned from being used for internet gambling transactions...and face fines if they do

But in addition to fines, my Bill requires

that proof of identity and address would be required to buy pre-paid credit cards with passports, birth certificates, utility bills etc.

We can’t just rely upon the credit card industry policing itself.

During Operation Orr in 2002 the police did a mass raid on those using conventional credit cards to download child porn that lead to  1750 convictions and 700 cautions.

Since then the credit card companies including Visa and Mastercard have invested heavily to stop the use of conventional cards again

But that particular horse has already bolted.

Few abusers would now risk their identities being known...

so now use pre-paid cards instead.

and once more we find ourselves with growing credit card driven child abuse....

The credit card companies are not taking pre-emptive action.

There’s lots of money involved and no appetite for voluntary industry action

and the more time that goes by .....

the more children are being abused

And the more financial momentum these transactions cause...

the more child abuse image users and addicts are created

So  Parliament must act and it is with no hesitation that I offer this Bill for the House to support...

and thanks to the blessing of members from across the House and growing public interest ...this is the BBCs second most watched online story today Mr.Speaker..

I hope that the Government will adopt its provisions into mainstream legislation..

Today let the House speak with one voice and send a clear message to those who would have our children abused and those who allow it to happen

We won’t stand idly by. We will use the powers at our disposal. We will put the protection of children first

Mr Speaker I’m please to move the Credit Regulation (child pornography) Bill 2010.