With just a few clicks of a mouse, pictures of pre-pubescent girls and boys in obscene sexual acts and positions exposing their genitals are freely accessible on X-rated Internet sites.
The only warning that appears on the screen is that the user has to be older than 18 to enter the site. Using a search engine is equally easy - punch in "free child porn" on the World Wide Web and a host of options appear.
The Independent on Saturday investigated how easy it was to access child porn on the Internet after TV and radio personalities Leon van Nierop and Tascoe Luc de Reuck - a former Democratic Party (DP) Randburg branch chairman - appeared in the Randburg Magistrate's Court this week in connection with child pornography possession charges.
One of the Internet sites displayed 100 super-imposed pictures of teen music sensation Britney Spears in bizarre sexual positions. Other sites showed boys and girls involved in bestiality and other sexual activities. Some of the sites can be viewed free of charge, while others charge a membership fee.
The explosion of child pornography on the Internet has made it difficult for police to nab the users, purveyors and producers of this material.
The national head of the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit (FVCPSO), Senior Superintendent Anneke Pienaar, said her team was hard-pressed to identify people who surfed for child porn.
"If they do not download and just log on, it's difficult," said Pienaar.
Women Against Child Abuse said Internet service providers should provide a filter for child porn.
An IT specialist said companies and private consumers could buy software to prevent porn from slipping through the Net and to detect which employees were surfing porn sites.