HC Deb 08 December 1999 vol 340 c533W
Mr. Dawson

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many successful prosecutions there were for the possession of child pornography in the last three years for which figures are available. [101653]

Mr. Charles Clarke

Available information, taken from the Home Office Court Proceedings Database, is given in the table.

Number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts and percentage found guilty at all courts for child pornography offences, England and Wales, 1996–98:

Take, make, distribute, show, possess with intent to distribute or show, or publish any advertisement conveying the distribution of indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs of children1
Total found guilty
Year Total proceeded against2 Number Percentage
1996 80 69 86
1997 111 103 93
1998 116 82 71
1 Protection of Children Act 1978 sections 1 and 6 as amended by the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, section 84.
2 = 100 per cent

Possession of an indecent photograph or pseudo-photograph of a child1
Total found guilty
Year Total proceeded against2 Number Percentage
1996 125 79 63
1997 124 81 65
1998 167 105 63
1 Criminal Justice Act 1988 section 160 as amended by the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 sections 84(4) and 86(1).
2 = 100 per cent