NSW MPs may have watched child porn on parliamentary computers

MELBOURNE - A report tabled by the New South Wales Speaker has revealed that MPs or their staff may have accessed websites containing child pornography on their parliamentary computers.

The inquiry, by Ernst and Young, found that as many as nine websites containing ’sexually explicit images of young people’ were accessed, reports News.com.au.

“Nine websites have been identified and contain sexually explicit images of young people whose precise age is difficult to determine. Legal advice is being sought as to this aspect of the report,” Speaker Richard Torbay told the Parliament.

The Ernst and Young report, tabled in the state’s lower house on Thursday, was commissioned in the wake of the Internet porn scandal that led to the resignation of Ports Minister Paul McLeay in early September.

Paul McLeay was forced to resign after a national daily confronted him with allegations that he had been accessing pornography at work.

The report, which followed an analysis of Internet usage between November 7, 2009 and September 6, 2010, found that 35 out of 72 popular sites accessed on parliamentary computers appeared to be adult-related websites.

Nine websites contained sexually explicit images of young people, the report said.

“If the persons depicted in the images are found to be under the age of 18, it is possible that contraventions of the Criminal Code Act 1995 may have occurred,” it said.

Additionally, if the images are found to be under the age of 16, the Crimes Act 1900 may have been contravened.

Ernst and Young has, however, not named any MPs or staff in its report. (ANI)