Los Angeles, CA (March 15, 2010) – The online child pornography reporting hotline operated by the ASACP (Association of Sites Advocating Child Protection) Foundation recently processed its 500,000th report.

The ASACP Foundation’s online CP reporting hotline fields thousands of reports each month from web surfers who encounter illegal images of child sexual abuse and exploitation on the Internet. ASACP investigates these reports to determine the hosting, billing, IP address, ownership, and linkage of suspected CP sites. Red Flag reports are then automatically forwarded to domestic and international agencies, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), and law enforcement (FBI, Homeland Security, etc).

In addition to helping to stop this horrific crime, the data from the hotline proves that the industry is not involved in child pornography. The majority of the commercial CP is distributed by organized crime in the Eastern European Bloc countries and Japan. Because of ASACP’s effort, these criminals have moved away from misusing the adult industry to other e-commerce industries. Unfortunately most of the CP on the internet is distributed by pedophiles in underground chat rooms and usenet where it is more difficult for law enforcement to apprehend these criminals.

ASACP Technology and Forensic Research Director Tim Henning stated, “It's hard to believe the ASACP hotline has processed half a million reports in the past six and a half years. It has been both a challenging and rewarding time for me. The contributions this information has and continues to make in protecting children are incalculable. I want to thank all of our members and sponsors whose contributions have made this possible. You should be very proud of this accomplishment.”

While the ASACP hotline was founded in 1996, the current tracking method only goes back to 2003 when the system was upgraded.

Founded in 1996, ASACP is a non-profit organization dedicated to online child protection. ASACP comprises of two separate corporate entities, the Association of Sites Advocating Child Protection and the ASACP Foundation. The Association of Sites Advocating Child Protection (ASACP) is a 501(c)(4) social welfare organization. ASACP manages a membership program that provides resources to companies in order to help them protect children online. The ASACP Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. The ASACP Foundation battles child pornography through its CP Reporting Hotline and helps parents prevent children from viewing age-restricted material online with its Restricted To Adults – RTA Website Label. ASACP is the only association in the world that coordinates the adult entertainment industry’s efforts to protect children online. It has spent over 14 years creating progressive programs to protect children. ASACP’s relationship in assisting the adult industry’s child protection efforts is unparalleled. Companies and individuals interested in supporting ASACP may go to www.asacp.org for more information on how to get involved.