Study finds no link between child porn and sex abuse

Men without a prior sex conviction who look at child pornography on the internet are unlikely to sexually assault a child, according to Swiss scientists. Researchers led by Frank Urbaniok of the Canton of Zurich Department of Justice delved into the criminal record of 231 men who were charged with viewing child pornography via a US website. In the six years before the 2002 police operation, only one per cent were known to have committed a hands-on sex offence. And only one per cent of the men committed a hands-on sex offence in the six years afterwards. The study reinforces previous research which found most consumers of internet child pornography are well-educated and view other types of illegal pornography as well, including sexual acts involving animals or violence.

source: Article 'Study finds no link between child porn and sex abuse'; www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25779646-26103,00.html; The Australian (Agence France-Presse); 14 July 2009