Hundreds of images of Northern Irish schoolgirls have been found on a site used by paedophiles in Israel following a Northern Irish BBC Spotlight investigation.

Reported in a number of papers this morning, the investigation found that the images were of Northern Irish Schoolgirls in post-primary schools and well known grammar schools. The photos were everyday photos taken by the girls themselves posing with friends and posted on social media networks.

According to the investigation some photos of the girls showed them slightly exposed but the images were taken from social media networks without their knowledge or consent.

According to Irish Independent: ‘On discovering the images in October, BBC Spotlight NI immediately passed information about the website to the PSNI's Child Protection Unit. The programme also informed all the schools concerned.’

It is reported that the pornograhpic website had a number of these images under provocative headings with explicit messages left by users posted underneath them.

The Spotlight Investigation discovered that although the website was registered in Cyprus and its servers found in the Netherlands, it was based and operated in Israel.

The website was contacted and the images were removed. However, a representative from the website is quoted as saying that the images were merely "risqué" and for the "fantasy" of its users.’

BBC Spotlight NI showed the images to the former head of the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP), Jim Gamble.
He said: "Whoever is collecting these images and putting them within the context of this site has a real problem and, in my opinion, an extremely deviant sexual interest in children," he said.
"If I was to find this on someone's computer that they were uploading it, and I was still in the police, they would be arrested that day."

Source: Irish Independent. and Belfast Telegraph. BBC

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